Igor Nikitin, CSKA head coach:
- Well, there were some good moments, of course. The result wasn't pleasing. But that's how we prepared.
- You said there were some good moments in the game. Which ones exactly?
- We tied 2-2 in regulation time. That's a good moment. Winning in overtime is a bad moment.
Guy Boucher, Avangard head coach:
- Today played two good teams, both of whom play well and defend well. It was a good show, in my opinion. Therefore, both sides deserved to have the game go to overtime, and that's what happened.
- Alexander Volkov didn't play in the third period, and even from the start of the second period onward. What's wrong with him?
- We'll see how he's doing tomorrow. I can't say yet.
- You were asked during the series about the performance of Klim Kostin, who played for Avangard. Do you see him wanting to prove himself even more against his former team?
- I don't discuss or talk about the other team's players.
- We saw Vyacheslav Voynov and Semyon Chistyakov in the locker room. Is there a chance they'll appear during this series or in the future?
- There's a chance.
- A question about Mikhail Gulyaev. He played as a forward during the season, not always in the lineup, and now he's playing as if nothing has happened. What do you attribute this transformation to?
- That's a bit misleading, because he's never been in the lineup. If he wasn't listed, it was due to injury or damage. He played one period as a forward this season, and two games last season, simply because we were short on forwards.
- How did he manage to so naturally pick up playing time and be useful both offensively and defensively?
- That's a bit misleading, because he's never been in the lineup. If he wasn't listed, it was due to injury or damage. He played one period as a forward this season, and two games last season, simply because we were short on forwards.
- How did he manage to so seamlessly pick up playing time and be effective both offensively and defensively?
- The reason is that Mikhail works incredibly hard and puts in a tremendous amount of effort into growing and improving his game. Before, he was playing a boyish style of hockey, skating around the ice a lot. Now we see that he's improving, and this has been happening for a long time, because during the season, for example, there weren't always moments when we could allow this style of play against a serious opponent. So now we see that he's ready to go out and play men's hockey. Since last year, we've seen him gain the maturity he was lacking. He plays a great physical game and can even make a physical check. Basically, he doesn't shy away from physical play, and he's always first to the puck, always fighting, battling, no matter the situation on the ice." If you're a defenseman who can only boast good speed and stickhandling skills, that's not enough, because you first and foremost need to be a competent defender. We can see now that he's very strong in every aspect; he reads the game very well, understands when to attack and when not to, and he's also not lost in physical combat. So we see that all these aspects are perfectly balanced in this player. And he's getting playing time for one reason: he deserves it. And here we must praise him alone in this regard, because this didn't happen overnight; it didn't happen overnight. It was painstaking work over a long period of time. He deserves it. Because young guys are just hockey players until they become professionals. And Mikhail has now reached the level where he can call himself a professional player. This, of course, is encouraging, because he's very knowledgeable and very teachable; he always absorbs everything he's given. A very smart guy. I never coach based on a player's age. He could be 35, he could be 18. Age is completely irrelevant to me. What matters most to me is that a player deserves to be on the ice and get playing time. And if he deserves it, then naturally, he gets it. Because nothing comes easy here. You have to work for it, you have to earn it. Then you'll get it.
- During the third intermission, your team had to play more defensively, but in overtime, on the contrary, especially after the power play, you dominated. Why did the nature of the game change so much?
- There were no changes to our game plan or system. It's just that our guys play really well under pressure, and overtime is all about immense pressure. By the end of the third period, both teams were already tired, and that's exactly the moment when you can make psychological mistakes. Experienced teams, experienced coaches, experienced players—they understand perfectly well that this is such a dangerous moment when there's a risk of giving the game away to the opponent, and that can't be allowed to happen. And when it's time for the break before the second period, before the third, before overtime, you can recharge a little and go out with fresh energy. We really played great in overtime, and we've been playing very well throughout the season.
