"Spartak is fast team"

One of the leaders of SKA Saint-Petersburg Alexey Yashin talks about lost games to Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Yashin also talks about victory against HK MVD Moscow region and tomorrow’s game versus principal opponent Spartak Moscow.

“It’s great that we won MVD. But now we will have very hard game versus Spartak Moscow. This game is tomorrow, that’s why we need to think about Spartak right now. Usually we are trying to dispose on every game. Without any reference from result we are trying to play our game as good as possible. Last game we won. That was great game for Rober Esche, he didn’t let any goal. I think because of him we could win MVD.

Your road games started in Vilnius, Lithuania. How it was physical to resist these road games?

It’s always very hard. But these road games is a part from calendar, all teams have one calendar. That’s way we need to get maximum from road games.

After lost game against Dynamo Moscow your teammates told that SKA lost this game, not Dynamo won. But what happened in Yaroslavl?

Maybe Lokomotiv Yaroslavl had a little bit more luck. We shot a goal to ourselves, we hadn’t our game. We made chances but we didn’t use them. This result is not fair. But there are always such games. No doubt that it was a good game for Lokomotiv also. In any case it is the past, but we need to prepare to future and next games. I hope that we will win the next game against Spartak Moscow.

Game against Dynamo Moscow was principal for your line mate Petr Cajanek (last year Cajanek played in Dynamo). Game against Lokomotiv was principal also for you?

For me the main thing is three points in table. It is no matter against what team you play; the main thing is to get points. I played in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl last two years and I have very good memories about this time. Yaroslavl is a hockey town. I want to thank to Yaroslavl about these two seasons. Now I’m in SKA Saint-Petersburg and I need to do all what I can for SKA. We will fight for gold medals.

Did you like Lokomotiv in this game?

My opinion is that they played great defensively. But they had some mistakes also. It seems that there we can see class of the team, when it plays great without mistakes.

You want to see game without mistakes for SKA. How it is working no in your team?

It depends from the game. I think that we need to be better. There is very many points which we could make better. I think that these games in regular season are for correcting mistakes and finding our game.

Your line with Cajanek and Sushinskiy plays great hockey. Do you like to play tohether?

I like to play with Cajanek and Sushinskiy very much, because these guys are very talented. They feel the situation and partners. That is the main reason why we understand each other. I hope that we will continue to play this way. Sometimes it is better, but sometimes it is worse. But the main thing is that everyone knows what he needs to do. We work together and talk together. It is a real pleasure to play together with Cajanek and Sushinskiy.

And if someone from your line has bad day that means that others have the same. Like in game against Dynamo Moscow?

It’s always so. But it is good that in our team we have other good lines also. Every line can score a winning goal. All strong teams have not only one good line, but plenty of them. I think that it is the main reason why we play so good in this season. Everyone from our team can win the game, goalies also. I hope that we will continue to win in KHL.

Barry Smith before the start of the KHL season said that he hopes to the great start. Did SKA make maximum points in the beginning?

It is very hard to say. It isn’t about physical condition. It is coincidence of many elements. Sure there is many points where we need to work hard, and we have some reserve. It is very hard to say how we play right now, it is our maximum or not. I think that potential for SKA Saint-Petersburg is great. Our game will be better and better.

SKA game versus Spartak is principal, what we need to wait from this game?

I think that this game will be very interesting. Spartak Moscow is very fast skating team and they are playing very good in area close to the net. For us it is very important to play good defensively.

Your friend and defender of your team Darius Kasparaitis now is in USA. Have you called with him? Very many fans are waiting for news about him…

I understand. But I don’t know how much can I speak. It would be great if he would be here, in the team. He is very important player for SKA mood. I hope that he will return on ice very fast.


Taken from khl-news