The head coaches of the CSKA and the SKA summed up the game.
– Today a big gap we secured, but otherwise the whole series was a close one. We are grateful to the SKA team. It's good for us that all the games were even, we needed to find a way in those games to take the series.
– Did you notice that many moments you didn't like in the regular season were corrected in the playoffs?
– There are always moments in the game that you don’t like, because real people are playing. We prepared the team to respond appropriately to these situations. This is how we won the series. We have a playoff bracket where all the opponents are top-tier, and you can’t play perfectly against them. You need to be able to react correctly to both good and bad moments, and stay in emotional and mental balance. We are leading the guys to this, the road is long, now is only the first step. We had some moments in the regular season that we wanted to improve: execution, power play. But these are all components of the big picture. We are not perfect, but that's okay. We must accept ourselves as we are. It's great that the guys took this step, but for a normal athlete, only after this should the feeling of hunger appear.
– There's more than a week until the next round. What are your plans for preparation?
– We weren't prepared for this. Now we look at the schedule. The boys will get their rest days. We haven't stopped preparing; we have a medical team and athletic coaches. But the most important thing is self-preparation; everyone should have that in their heads and hearts.
– It's not typical that CSKA and the SKA are meeting so early in the playoffs, unlike in previous years. Has the opponent become weaker during this time, and has this made it easier for CSKA?
– I don’t discuss my opponents, I go by my team. It's good for the league when teams like these meet in the first round. And we told the guys that it would be good to get such an opponent right away in the first round. We are a young team, and we are gaining both positive and negative experience.
– At the beginning of the season, at a press conference, you talked about who should carry the piano and who should play it. Is there already this balance in the team?
– It's my job – I have to back my words with actions. We understood that the team needed to be built in the way I saw it. Our young leaders needed freedom and development. This is our way.
– How would you rate Kovalenko’s performance as a center? And when will Zernov return?
– Denis could have been on today. But the guys who played the series showed that they can win it. Nikolai is no exception. For him, this is an opportunity for self-development. Not everyone can play well in the center. The scope of work is different. And if you also don’t lose your attacking qualities, then that’s the level. Stability is a sign of mastery. The first round that Kovalenko played was a level below which one cannot fall.
– I'd like to congratulate CSKA on reaching the next round. Congratulations to our team on the end of the season." It wasn't easy; practically the entire season there were problems with the squad, injuries, and so on. But now we're talking about the team that won today.
– Grimaldi was left out of the squad today. – What comes to it?
– This decision has been a long time coming, because we want the most experienced to bring results. After four games he had a -4 and no goals scored, and they gave the opportunity to play to Lutfullin, who was one of the best players on our team. This was the reason for the decision not to put him in.
– From the first minutes, the tactic was to pass to Pedan to shoot. It worked once. Did the team have a plan B?
– This is not a question of tactics, but of the character, desire and integrity of the team, which must fight to the end. Unfortunately, not all the guys, and I don’t know reasons, didn't pull all the strings. The people who got over after serious injuries, Koledov and Wilson, did everything they could. Of course, the young people played a good game today. There's no sense to talk about tactics and other things now, because it’s a complete disappointment. We came here to win and move the series to St. Petersburg. Fought to the end. That scoring chance when the puck was on the goal line with the score 3-1 and six minutes left. There was still hope to somehow save the game. All come to it, but unfortunately, all these rebounds, passes, and skate goals were happening now and there in the series. We were totally unlucky in these elements.
– CSKA spent less time in front of the goal in previous games, but today this gap became apparent again. Has something changed in your opponent's play?
– We knew this team lived for it. With these throws, traffic, close call at the goalie. We warned the defenders and center forwards, who must ensure there the goalkeeper has a line of sight and no disturbances. Everything always works out, but the fourth goal on the power play, which decided the outcome, was exactly the element we were talking about. Therefore, the mistakes that were made in defense had to be corrected, but this did not happen.
– Starting the season you said that the contract was signed on a 1+1 basis. Do you believe that this was your last game at the helm of the SKA?
– After games like these, you have to come to your senses and appreciate what's been accomplished this year. We tried out a large group of young players who, I think, have proven themselves and gained tremendous experience. We sized the experienced core of the team, who were supposed to lead the way today, but not everything worked out for these guys. There is no time now to point fingers at anyone, but we need to experience all of this so that the weight that hangs in the locker room after the game can settle. Everyone is disappointed. It takes time to assess what happened.
– In St. Petersburg, all the games were played by Sergei Ivanov, and in Moscow – by Artemy Pleshkov. What comes to it?
- Yes, we discussed and talked about it. They played like this all season. Both guys, who are gaining the necessary experience, had a good season. I would even say that it is a very good season. The decision to put Pleshkov came after his two strong games in Moscow. Sergei Ivanov is a little jaded, because it’s a tough series for these guys. A game against a team that is constantly in your kitchen, that is, in the zone. The goalkeepers don't feel quite at ease. That's why, it was decided that Pleshkov would play in this game. In our opinion, although we lost 2-6, I think he had a good series.
