General
The CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin summed up the results of the victorious match against Shanghai. — We played well for two periods. The third period brought more benefit to the team than the first two. In hockey, whoever takes the momentum has the initiative. So we are happy that the third period turned out the way it did. – Today we played against a venerable opponent – Gerard Gallant. What would you like to learn from him? – It’s too early to talk about that – both he and we still have completely new teams. We focus more on our work. We have a lot of big-name coaches in the league, and I try to learn from everyone. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a venerable or has won anything, I try to notice details and trends. – Which of the CSKA’s goals in the match did you like the most? – Before the third period, we just told the guys that there is no difference between a puck scored by Yanchenko and a goal scored on a substitute. Any are counted. And every puck is not a coincidence, but a silky play. More attention is paid to combinations, but believe me, hitting a flying puck without fear that it will fly into your face is not only skill, but also character. – The team has fantastic attacking players. Does this mean you will be more attack oriented? – Naturally, we will use the guys we have at hand. My task is to unveil their strengths, but at the same time to make sure that their less-than-strong qualities do not interfere with the result and teamplay. The tournament provides food for thought, shows the feathers, how a player behaves in stressful situations, whether he is able to correct a mistake or immediately hides. We will see and figure out how we can achieve results with this team. – There were several fights today involving young players. How much does the team need this stuff in the offseason? – Young blood, this is completely normal. Of course, we don’t want injuries during the pre-season, but today we certainly haven't ones sticking to a power move. The fact that guys stand up for each other is not something we welcome, it’s our code. – Do you feel that with this line-up you are ready to go through the entire season until the very end? – I wouldn’t like to say anything big. When you look at a player from the outside, you only remember the goals, you don’t see the routine that happens in the team. It takes time. We believe in those who are here, we are entering the season with this team, we are going day by day.
