RIHA: FOURTH MATCH WAS DECISIVE

HC Spartak head coach Milos Riha commented on the outcome of his club’s rivalry against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.


"We were not lucky because we set the team for a different game", he said to sport press. "We were not lucky because we created the first scoring opportunity, which we didn’t convert into goal, while Lokomotiv scored in the counterattack".

"After that we conceded the second goal after a rude mistake. We didn’t have enough strength to fight back against this well-organized team".

"In general both teams played wonderfully in the series. Almost all games were held on high level, but we lacked something for victory".

"The fourth match of the series was crucial, because we lost with three minutes before the end. We wouldn’t have let Lokomotiv win, if we had taken 3-1 lead. The outcome of the series was determined on Tuesday".

"Lokomotiv experience helped them, while we couldn’t boast it. Moreover we lacked Slovak guys, who were not in their best form. I cannot say that they are to blame for everything, but I have some claims to them".

"Spartak made progress comparing with the previous season, however we didn’t make the final step to success. We lacked a strong player of Vasicek’s level, who is ready to take responsibility to him on powerplay and on penalty killing".

ZAKHARKIN: TEAM’S PSYCHOLOGY IS IMPORTANT

Salavat Yulaev senior coach Igor Zakharkin commented on course of play-off series against Neftekhimik and other evens in quarterfinal series.


"Only two goals have been scored in last two matches of our quarterfinal series and I was mot surprised by it at all", Zakharkin said to sport press. "Ahead of the start of the series we expected that teams wouldn’t present a feast of goals".

"Neftekhimik is hard working team, which stakes on discipline in defence and quick switch to counterattack, that is the main strong point of well-known specialist Vladimir Krikunov".

"We guessed that nobody would complete with Salavat Yulaev in open hockey. In this respect the first match with many goals was surprising".

"After Vancouver games we pay more attention to factor of the team’s psychology. Contact between coach and player becomes crucial in modern hockey".

"I suppose that with 1-2 score Salavat played like a team with perfect psychology. Having occurred in difficult situation we gained valuable experience".

"Specialists call Neftekhimik goalie Ivan Kasutin as the breakthrough of the series. I can agree with them, though we were aware of his potential before".

"On the other hand, we know situations when Kasutin is not always able to save his team. Our task is to play our players’ attention to these moments".

"I watch other play-off series a little bit, though failures of Dynamo and especially SKA came as big surprise for our coaching staff".

"Saint Petersburg club was one of the main favourites of the competition, plus all breaks for Euro Hockey Tour tournaments and Olympic games helped them a lot".

"It’s hard to understand why this big club came out of this favourable situation as a loser. Maybe they faced serious problems with training process".

"As for Dynamo, I think that coach’s plan was not reason of their mistakes. The team began the series against Spartak brilliantly, but when the score was 3:0 something happened and they failed the whole series. It turned that they didn’t manage to create a stable team".

"Spartak is interesting team. Milos Riha is wonderful coach, who sets his players for all games and presses their opponents and even referees. Maybe Spartak roster is weaken that Dynamo’s squad, but thanks to Riha’s energy situation has changed".

"I like Lokomotiv too, as they are very effective in play-off every year and don’t depend on coach very much despite Petr Vorobyev joined Yaroslavl one month before start of play-offs and had enough time to present his playing models".

RIHA: I AM SURE WE WILL RETURN TO YAROSLAVL

Having beat Spartak in Yaroslavl Lokomotiv took 3-2 lead in the series to be one step from Gagarin Cup semi-final series.


Lokomotiv – Spartak 2:1 (1:0, 1:1, 0:0)

Best players: Kiryukhin (L); Kochnev (S); Vasicek (L)

Score in the series 3-2 (5:1, 2:3 OT, 2:3, 4:3 OT)

"We began actively, but our defeat was caused by mistake, which led to the first goal, and too many suspensions," said Spartak head coach Milos Riha. "Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to compete with the team, which is perfect on power-play".

"But nothing is lost now and I am sure that we will return to Yaroslavl".

KHL: LOKOMOTIV LEVEL THE SCORE IN THE SERIES

Owing to overtime victory Lokomotiv levelled the score in the quarterfinal series against Spartak.


Spartak – Lokomotiv 3:4 OT (1:1, 0:1, 2:1, 0:1)

Best players: Vasicek (L); Obsut (S); Mikhnov (L)

Score in the series 2-2 (1:5, 3:2 OT, 3:2)

"Our team play worse than in the previous game", said Spartak head coach Milos Riha. "Maybe players couldn’t believe that they can beat so strong club in three straight matches and lost concentration".

But they played much better in the third period, though they made a lot of mistakes.

SHALAEV: WE ARE READY TO HELP UKRAINIAN TEAM

The KHL vice-president Vladimir Shalaev spoke about plans of the league’s enlargement.


Yesterday the meeting of representatives of KHL, Russian Hockey Federation and 26 clubs was held in Moscow. After it the league vice-president Vladimir Shalaev spoke about perspective of the league’s enlargement next season.

"With minor reservations infrastructure of Hradec Kralove meets the league’s requirements", he said. "But like it often happens in Europe money question is more important, while their financial guarantees didn’t convince us".

"At the same time Yugra from Khanty-Mansiysk convinces us more and more. Businessmen from Kyiv responded with a perfect offer and we liked their plans of creation of big hockey club in Ukraine. If they work hard, Budivelnik will turn to a real candidate to joining KHL".

"Kyiv representatives have absolutely clear business-strategy and transparent financial basis. Our close neighbours are ready to invest money to big hockey".

"Budivelnik has huge desire and serious support for creation of the club, which will be able to join KHL. In our turn, we are ready to help them develop their infrastructure".

KHL: SPARGARNETT: ONE TARGET IS TO WIN GAGARIN CUP

HC MVD goalie Mike Garnett states that he is set to win Gagarin Cup.


Mike Garnett parried 42 strikes out of 43 in two home matches against Riga side and played the first game without conceded goals for the first time in KHL play-off series. After the second match he spoke to sport press.

"Our team has made good deal of work by reducing Dynamo’s scoring chances to minimum", Garnett said. "I had almost no serious burden except several episodes".

"I agree that the first match was more difficult for HC MVD despite bigger goal-difference. When you are behind, it’s uneasy to fight back in play-off series".

"I suppose that our main target for play-off is to win the trophy, playing one round and then slipping out of competition is not for me, because I want to grab Gagarin Cup".

"If you think how to win several games, it won’t help you achieve any successful result".

AK BARS TOOK 2-0 LEAD OVER MAGNITOGORSK

Ak Bars took 2-0 lead in KHL play-off quarterfinal series against Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Eastern Conference.


Metallurg Magnitogorsk – Ak Bars 0:4 (0:1, 0:3, 0:0). Saturday, 20 March

Best players: Morozov (A); Vehanen (A); Kapanen (A)

Metallurg Magnitogorsk – Ak Bars 2:3 (0:0, 0:1, 2:2). Sunday, 21 March

Best players: Morozov (A); Vehanen (A); Chistov (M)

Score in the series 0-2

"When your team is behind, you should do something", said Metallurg head coach Valeriy Belousov after the second match of the series. "Changes in the lineup helped a little bit, but in play-off it’s important when goalkeeper saves his team. Goalie has no right to concede goals, like it happened today".

Salavat Yulaev - Neftekhimik 6:2 (3:1, 1:1, 2:0). Saturday, 20 March

Best players: Radulov (S); Kir. Koltsov (S); Kalinin (S)

Salavat Yulaev – Neftekhimik 1:2 OT (0:1, 1:0, 0:0, 0:0, 0:1). Sunday, 21 March

Best players: Kasutin (N); Yakutsenya (N); Radulov (S)

Score in the series 1-1