Ilya Kovalchuk: "No one said that it was going to be easy"

- It was a training with a difference today. Why did the team do a special penalty shootout?

- Maxim Sokolov had seen this training method before. It was good to get a lot of positive emotions inside and smile a lot. Hopefully this will help the guys against Slovan.

- The final of that shootout was you against Alexander Dergachyov. Did experience win over age?

- I agreed with the goaltender, Sergei Korobov, that I would win.

- Will we see you on the ice tomorrow?

- During the morning skate - yes, but probably not for the game.

- How is your recovery process going?

- Everything's fine, thanks go to our doctors and physiotherapists for that. I have spent a lot of time with them, and everything is going as it should.

- You have been watching the team's games inside the Ice Palace and on the TV. What are your thoughts about recent performances?

- It's hard to say, but I like to look for positive aspects. It was a tough start for us, travelling to Vladivostok and then playing another four games away now. No one said that it was going to be easy. Everyone gets pumped up in a special way to take on the reigning champions, and we have lost a lot of players during the summer with new faces coming in. Everything will be fine.

- Do you go into the dressing room during games?

- No, we don't do that. I see the guys while they are doing their warmups.