The head coaches of the CSKA and the Sibir summed up the game.
Igor Nikitin, head coach of the CSKA:
- We had a slow start. From the second period on, the boys controlled the game.
- Dmitri Buchelnikov had a standout performance. Do you think he'll see more ice time?
- If he’s potting two a night, why change anything? He plays five-on-five and on the power play. Once he learns to kill penalties, he’ll probably see more ice. We’re still learning how to play five-on-five. The progress is obvious. If you play on the power play, kill penalties, and get out there in the final minutes, you’re guaranteed to log over 15 minutes a night.
Derek Barach has low playmaking output. Is this just part of an ongoing adjustment period?
- Yes. We gave him a maintenance day to work on his skills. We played with the exact same lineup for two months on purpose. Been there, done that – no need to think twice. It’s tougher for the new guys, especially the imports. We're waiting patiently.
- How hard is it to keep a winning streak going and stay loose?
We’re just focusing on the day-to-day process so it becomes part of our DNA. It’s a grind, not everyone’s built for it. It's a grind right now, and that's what we're trying to instill in the guys – not to ride the highs and lows. We're focusing on maximizing what we can do.
Yaroslav Lyuzenkov, head coach of Sibir:
- It’s always fun and exciting to play against an opponent like that. We have to keep our pace up but also the systems we've been working on for a full 60 minutes. Those first two goals we gave up—that’s literally what we talked about in the meeting. And not a single goal on power play. That's why we lost.
We played hard in the first, just a little letdown there with 40 seconds left.. Shots on goal are 12-4, and we've had our chances. We couldn't bury our chances, and our mistakes cost us a goal.
We wanted to pull the goalie earlier, with about three minutes left, but we couldn't – CSKA hemmed us in. We will fight to the end.
I think Abramov and Valitov should be good to go for the upcoming homestand. We brought Misha on the road trip so he could be with the boys. Danya’s not quite ready yet, not quite ready to go. Just need another day or two.
For sure, I’d love the chance to work with Vladimir Tarasenko, we just haven't had many looks at it. We’ve been in touch, and from what I understand, he’s going to hold out for NHL offers. He had no plans to return to Russia.
We are looking at Evander Kane; there aren't many options on the market. I'd say he's still got some wheels for his age. We’ll see how his game translates to our league if everything works out.
It seems like the East has always been way more competitive. I think that's awesome. Win two or three games in a row, and you can shoot right up the standings. No one is willing to give up ground with everyone pushing for the postseason.
We were in an even tougher spot last season, and we pulled through. We're not throwing in the towel. Looking at tonight’s game, even though the final score was 4-1, we definitely could’ve buried a few more. Even though it was 4–1, we definitely could’ve buried a few more today. Someone has a chance to stick in the KHL.
