CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin summed up the match against Dynamo.
- The guys did well, they played a good game. We made some small mistakes, some nuances, which gave Dynamo momentum. But looking at the game as a whole, I think we deserved the win. We'll keep preparing.
- How would you rate Klim Kostin's debut? How much does he need to improve physically? He played inconsistently at Avangard.
- There's no substitute for playing practice. I hope he stays healthy, but you can only get back into shape through games. The team needs help, and his teammates need to offer advice, cover for him, and explain things. His strengths were evident today: his powerful dribbling, his skill level, and his character. I think he'll help us.
- Kostin played 16.5 minutes today, although he didn't have nearly that much at Avangard. Are you giving him that much time to get back into shape?
- It wasn't artificial. He played five-on-five with his line and the power play. We talked to him yesterday. If you want to move forward, don't dwell on the past. He's a smart guy, focused on the future.
- At the end, with the score 3-2, Roy and Nesterov played the entire penalty kill, and then came back out and played almost three minutes straight. Is this the maximum trust in them, or are there no other defensemen who could have come out at that moment?
- Trust needs to be earned, not just earned. It's good motivation for all the other guys to take the final minutes when they have time.
- CSKA scored four goals, two of them by defensemen, although the forwards had plenty of chances too. How can we get them to score more? And there aren't many clean sheets. Hollowell scored against the Dynamo player, and so did Kovalenko.
- We had two minutes of penalty time, 4 on 6. Will anyone remember exactly how the goals were scored? We're teaching the guys that everything is important. Don't focus on who's scoring what goals. You'll waste your energy on that. That's our philosophy.
- Any information on when to expect Ebert? Is his visa process progressing?
- There are people responsible for that, and they're doing everything possible. We spoke with Nick, and Dmitry Yushkevich has already explained to him the requirements and the level of fitness he needs.
