CSKA - Sochi. Coaches' comments
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CSKA - Sochi. Coaches' comments

The head coaches of CSKA and Sochi summed up the match.

Sergey Fedorov, head coach of CSKA:

- I liked a lot of moments in the game. We made the right conclusions, we also liked the training process ahead of today's match. The guys heard our wishes. The opponent was very fast, we warned the guys that they would need to move a lot, make decisions quickly, especially with the puck. We played in all three zones correctly in most moments.

- Aren't you annoyed about the two goals you missed in the third period?

- I agree, we would not want to miss these goals. But we must pay tribute to the opponent, they continued to press, to press. I would like to have a whitewash match, we strive to play all 60 minutes.

- Do you think Abramov is progressing? He is scoring difficult and beautiful goals this season.

- He scored such goals last season. I hope that he is progressing, I am glad that he looks like this from the outside. Vitaly and I continue to work on certain factors. Since Vitaly works hard, he does a lot of things.

- You expectedly won the face-offs today, especially Pankratov, who won 11 out of 12, shined in a match. What is his secret?

- In Yaroslavl, we didn't play the throw-ins the way we would have liked. A conversation took place with the central forwards, a training session was held. Our central team reacted to our requirements and wishes correctly and seriously prepared for the match.

- How does Matvey Guskov feel after the fight?

- Matvey practically had a 12-round fight. He was on the ice for a whole shift, after which he also got into a fight. He feels good, he gave all his strength, but Fyodor Kroschinsky is more powerful and, perhaps, is not so tired in this shift. We must pay tribute to Matvey, he stood up for his partner, this is part of the game. There are bruises and bumps, not without it.

- Do you agree with Matvey's actions in this episode?

- He did not immediately get into a fight, but drove up and stood up for his partner, took the initiative. For this, I received a deletion. What Matvey has done is within the framework that we would like to see.

- Is there any news on Alexander Popov? Do you think he could spend another season at the CSKA level?

- I don't have much news on Sasha. I'm sure he thinks he can play. The question is health. I think that after such a great season, if Sasha finished his career, it would be a great finishing point. This is an example for all of us. I want to wish him good health and look at himself from the outside, think about what he wants to do next.

- You had a similar situation, it was hard for you to leave, but age pushed.

- It wasn't hard for me to leave. Health dictated this. When you undergo medical manipulations affecting the musculoskeletal system two or three times a year, there is something to think about. To be honest, I thought that I would be treated for a year and then come back. But fate decreed otherwise.

 

Andrey Nazarov, Head coach of Sochi:

- We played the third match on the road, but we liked the speed. Implementation was lame. When they found the key to the gate, it was already too late. We need to go back to basics, remember what we did well, try to score in the first period and lead the score. This is our problem – we wake up when we are already losing.

- How important are the two goals scored by Sochi in the third period for the team's confidence?

- Of course, they are important. Firstly, we did not lose, but could even win. The guys did well, they did not give up. It's hard to play here, CSKA is a masterful team. We resisted as much as we could, gave themselves up, but this is not enough. You need to add, pull everything out of yourself, adjust your body to give everything from the first minutes both in defense and in attack.

- Have you figured it out who is to blame for the episode with the first missed goal?

- We figured it out. One shouted, the other did not hear, this happens. But this is not a key goal. Tretyak held the defense for half the game, but we couldn't score.

- Why did you replace Melnichuk back a minute after going on the ice?

- He entered the game unsuccessfully, it happens. I thought it would come in better, but it was cold.

- Can you explain the rotation of the links during the match?

- There is no secret, we switched to a three-link game. The fourth link is trying to help on the bench in any way it can. But seriously, we tried to pick up the pace. Somewhere we managed it. I tried to impose our first link on the fourth link of the opponent. It worked sometimes, but they couldn't score.

- There was a fight at the end, and it was a rare case when your team was not the initiator of it. Weren't you surprised?

- I'm not surprised. There was a game moment, the guys from CSKA did not agree with this. We are always ready to respond.

- What is the secret of Dmitry Zavgorodny? He scores the second match in a row, he plays actively and well.

- Zavgorodny, before leaving for America, showed very high hopes in Avangard. After an unsuccessful trip, we are trying to resuscitate him. He's scored two goals so far, that's not enough for us. We are happy with his two goals.

- Brandon Gormley scored today too. How would you rate this acquisition?

- This is a qualified defender. But we don't score enough goals, so I can't tell you more about it yet.