SKA Head Coach Romain Rotenberg commented on the win over CSKA in the Fonbet Championship match KHL and also talked about the choice of the front Nikita Popugaev 81st number, under which the specialist himself previously played.
SKA beat CSKA on Tuesday at home with a score of 6:2. The Petersburg club interrupted a series of two consecutive defeats in the league.
– How did SKA manage to have such a great first period? Was it a teaser for Total Hockey?
“There is no goal without shooting. And when we were inferior before, we played well – both in the Far East and in Nizhnekamsk. But somewhere extra assists got in the way… We suppressed everything what was superfluous and played for the result today. There is no need for big words here. You just have to keep working and roll up your sleeves. It’s only just begun and we have still many games ahead of us against CSKA and other main rivals.
— What do you think of the opponent’s point of revenge?
“I don’t want to comment on that. Probably, these questions should be asked by CSKA. It is their decision. I can’t be in charge of another team. Probably, in sports and in such matches, teams do everything to win. Whether they say it was intentional – or a post-game moment. It’s hockey, a tough man’s game. A very aggressive opponent. They play a lot in the body, often act on the verge of a fault. But such tactics must be respected. We have to take the hit, play the power and the body and win the fight. And today we won the fight on all sides of the ice. It gave us an advantage.
– The eight goals were scored in equal numbers. Why didn’t the majority work?
– There was an extra pass. And you have to give up. Meanwhile, SKA has scored the most goals in equal numbers this season. But the extra passes should be removed, while playing for the result. Of course, we will solve it. The majority is our reserve. And you have to give credit to the guys who came out in the minority. Both teams played well in this component.
— Is it possible to say that SKA’s first puck influenced the course of the match?
Of course, a good start is half the battle. Vladislav Tretyak once told me when CSKA dominated the USSR championship. They always scored three or four goals in the first 10 minutes and then they kept playing. We will strive to achieve this. We take an example from the best!
– Nikita Popugaev played his first matches for SKA, and he wore number 81. He’s so talented that you didn’t regret giving him your number?
– Yes, I play under this number when I have the opportunity. But it’s a team, and the player chooses any number. There may be a link here. But it’s better to ask Nikita.
The main thing for us is not to look at the number, but how it plays. Parrots can play even better. Today he was big, tough, lots of power and throws. He is an aggressive player, which corresponds to our system. And if you look at his fate, he had a chance – and he appreciates it very much. Such situations occur in life when a person goes through difficulties, which makes him stronger. We are happy that Nikita has returned to hockey after a difficult history,” Rotenberg told reporters.
Source : MatchTV
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