- Sergei Mikhailovich, the score is 1-0, because even in the playoffs it is not often found. Why did they score so little?
- The score only speaks of an equal level of teams. Teams that gave all their strength today. He also says that there are accidents, luck and bad luck in hockey. If you look at the game in terms of scoring chances, then we certainly did not lose today's match. Here everything rests on the fact that CSKA has a little more skill. After all, the army team managed to use their chance when leaving two in one. We, playing five against three, failed to score. And there were other opportunities, it was necessary to turn them into goals. But, unfortunately, it did not work out. For several reasons. The main, probably, is fatigue. After all, it turns out that in five days we played four matches. But this is a terrible load on the body. Moreover, yesterday they lost Volodya Antipov, the leading player. And in such games, the experience of players such as Antipov decides a lot.
“You said luck.” Do you think that fortune has turned away from you today?
- Fortune is fortune, but the skill was definitely not enough. Well, and most importantly, there was not enough freshness. But these are our problems.
- Players also talk about fatigue.
- Because it is. It’s hard to play on emotions alone, it’s very difficult. Then, do not forget, a series of injuries followed in the team, which caused some links to fall apart.
- And such a torn performance schedule? In the first game you scored five goals, in the second - one, in the third - four, and in the fourth - none at all. Also a consequence of fatigue?
- Naturally. When there is not enough physics, you try to play in a more organized way, without risk, to pay more attention to defensive actions in order to miss less.
- Yesterday, by the way, “Salavat” in the first two periods exceeded CSKA in motion, but today it was not even close.
- Today, we rather had a slight advantage in the third period. But ... 1: 0 is really a rare account. And we rarely when we do not score at least one puck. Nothing can be done, anything can happen.
- But in general, are you satisfied with the outcome of the Moscow matches? We managed to take one game.
- Of course, I wanted to win today. But since it came to the fifth match, then so be it. I have no complaints about the dedication to the guys. Mistakes - yes, they do. And in the playoffs there are strange or, as Vyacheslav Arkadyevich (Bykov) says, “children's” mistakes. It happens that a person makes mistakes out of the blue. And we on the bench do not expect such errors, and the players, probably, are not waiting for them. In theory, they simply should not be. But there they are, and you can’t get anywhere from them. Apparently, this is a matter of psychology.
- Returning to the issue of fatigue. After all, you had a short series with SKA. So, we had time to regain our strength and fully prepare for games with CSKA.
- Yes, the forces really saved in the first round. But four games in five days are no joke.
- Your ward Konstantin Koltsov said that after the first game the players had some euphoria. You yourself probably noticed?
- Of course. Yesterday, for example, when the score was 3-0, they tried to keep the guys from complacency, from overestimating their strength. This is a very difficult moment. We constantly repeat to them that the game ends only with the final siren. No coach loves to score goals in the first and last minutes of a match. Players coming out in these crucial shifts should have 100% confidence in their actions and intentions.
- Do you have any complaints about refereeing?
- There are always complaints. To someone more, to someone less, but there is. Yesterday, for example, there was no bullet, but he was given. Our video shows clearly that no one shot down Shtrbak. It’s just that at the last moment the puck fell off the hook, and he began to jump after it, catch up. But they gave us a bullet.
- On Monday you will find a very important match. Then only medals ...
- Yes. Everything will depend on who has the strength.
- Do you have enough?
- Let's collect everything that is.
Nikolay FEDORENKO