SKA - Lokomotiv. Press-conference

HC SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg:

- With the playoffs in mind, this was a good match against a strong opponent. In terms of our performance level, it was one of our best games of the season so far. We saw how we can break down such defensively-organised teams. I don't have any issues with the commitment and character of our players, but we must unleash more unexpected shots in order to score goals. I don't want to comment on the other aspects, but when a player has blood pouring from him, something needs to be done. The referees told me that they didn't notice the incident involving Emil Galimov. We have professional referees in our league, so I'm sure that they will analyse the incident correctly.

HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl head coach Igor Nikitin:

- We had to defend a lot. Thanks to our players' commitment, we managed to emerge victorious. What's the secret to beating SKA four times? Our guys naturally have extra motivation for playing against the leading KHL club.

HC SKA forward Damir Zhafyarov:

- In terms of the emotion, it was like a playoff game today. We have everything we had, but sadly we couldn't earn the victory. There's no time to be upset, so we have to immediately prepare for our next match. Our hard work will help us win matches.

HC SKA forward Marat Khusnutdinov:

- All of our guys did a great job! The only thing lacking was our finishing in front of goal. Lokomotiv like to play out from defence, but we really should have taken advantage of our numerous chances to score. We've lost three in a row? There's no issue with the atmosphere within the group, we're all feeling positive and we are moving in the right direction.