The head coaches of CSKA and Salavat Yulaev shared their post-game thoughts.
Igor Nikitin, head coach of the CSKA:
-It was a high-tempo game, the boys showed great character and kept up the pace. A team victory.
– Have you reached the level of chemistry and fluidity in the team's play that you're looking for?
The guys feel it themselves – when they play team-first hockey, it opens up space for individual skill. To beat a structured team, you have to play with structure yourself. It's a process, you just have to trust it and embrace it.
- What happened during the incident involving the rule violation by Klim Kostin?
– It's a game. Nobody played a clean game today, that's for sure. This also applies to the coaching staff. Klim did the right thing by thanking Dima Gamzin in the locker room; that was a classy, deliberate move. Gamzin did his job. A lot of guys did their job today and had their teammates' backs.
– Was there a mistake by Nikita Nesterov on the play where the goal was conceded?
If Nikita had seen Jeremy skating to the bench for a change, he would have taken a different position. You have to give credit to the Salavat players' skill for executing that pass off the skates. When you're shorthanded, you're playing against their best guys, so you've got to give it one hundred percent. The team responded the right way to that mistake.
– How important is it to convey to the players that a winning streak shouldn't turn into overconfidence?
– It takes self-awareness to reach your full potential, and that’s how you build a player-led team. A coach’s ultimate goal is to teach a player how to train on their own.
– The opponent came out flying. They deliberately gave up the initiative.
– We’ve got a tough schedule. Plus, Salavat is a fast, skating team. We knew about this. The boys didn't want to give up the momentum, but we had to slow the game down. We got the job done.
– What about Alex Cotton?
– The doctor said it was nothing serious. We'll take another look at it the day after tomorrow.
Viktor Kozlov, head coach of the Salavat Yulaev:
The team played well, we were playing against the league leaders. We knew it was going to be a battle, they’re a big, fast team. We played a solid game. That second goal... Well, it was allowed, so it was allowed. Overall, I’m happy with the boys, they put on a good performance today.
– Was the missed penalty shot the turning point of the game?
– It would’ve been easier on us, but it was the middle of the game. But that goal they allowed against us—I thought it was a clear case of goaltender interference. I think that was the turning point.
– How was the decision to award the goal explained to you?
– It wasn’t their call, it came down from Toronto.
– How would you assess the costly error made by Nikita Zorkin?
– The opponent read that pass well. We were losing and needed to bounce back, so Nikita was forcing the play.
– Why couldn't you create scoring chances for a long time in the third period?
– CSKA played great defense. We had some chances to score, but we didn’t expect to get many opportunities against a team like that.
