Press-conference

Aleksandr Kulikov (head coach, HC "Donbass")

- As well as rivals, we also have part-time roster. We would like to see in it some of the guys, but alas. We have long been had an absent of Borovkov. We look forward - he is about to come to the team. Maybe in the next game we will try him. Today, after a long pause, Tatarinov came, but so far he is not yet fully ready. Well, we lost Vassiliev for a long time. He had an operation before we flew to Ust-Kamenogorsk, but I think that his recovery will take not less than a month. Maybe more. That's why we are constantly playing with a defender in the fourth link in the attack, and sometimes there are two of them, there. We are disappointed by today's defeat - at first, the second - we are scoring not much. With one goal it is difficult to win something. We trying, attacking, but did not score goals. Without them it would be very, very hard for us. We still have 10 days to fix everything. I think the players understand it all. We're starting the playoffs with the "Titan" and will try to play games on 6 and 7 February differently.

- In the last matches your players are not so fast as in their best matches. This is the physical fatigue or relaxation effect after the early entering the playoffs?

- The motivation was and is. Yes, the players look a little bit hard, because the season is nearing to its end. I think in the playoffs we will look fresher. It all depends on how we will be prepared within the next ten days. And the fact that we won the first place - that's no reason to relax and to lose. For now, among our rivals the teams that got into the playoffs, and we see that all competitors are adding. None of these teams left, we could beat easily.

- Are you not alarming, that in the overall standings you have been bypassed by "Toros"?

- We still have two games to correct all this.

- Evaluate the psychological state of the team. Today there were some moments in the actions of Varlamov, Shagov and other players that looked unusual.

- When we are not scoring, then any player, who should do it, acting like this. When all turns out, all great. We need positive emotions, but you need to win to have it. I just believe that everything will be fine.

- Some of your players claimed to the championship of Ukraine. Will they participate  in the matches with the Kiev "Berkut" on 1 and 2 of March?

- This question we have not yet discussed. Most likely - no. We have big tasks. The second team has enough of the players, and our squad is truncated. These players have been claimed to the championship of the Ukraine, but all will depend on how, when and who will play and whether the injury. All will be decided later.

Andrey Amelin (head coach, HC "Titan"):

- We had hoped that the "Locomotive" beat "Sarov", and we will come into playoffs early. It happened, but we set up the guys, that they do not need to relax, because it is only the beginning. At the end of last year I said that the chances of ours to get into the eight we have not so much. They were purely theoretical, but in order to become real, we had to win five consecutive games. We won seven. As I remember, I talked about this here in Donetsk. I am grateful to the players that they could do it. We will play with the "Donbass" in the playoffs. We have tried to convey to the players the ideas that we can use, in the game with this team. This is done, but still there are some moments that are alarming with us. When the playoffs will start - it will be completely different game. We now have a truncated squad. Magnitogorsk guys have been taken away from us, and we were hoping for them. Now turned out the lack of players. Before that, we broke the contract with some hockey players and now we experiencing difficulties. We will have four lines as maximum. Still, well done guys, thank you to the fans who came to Donetsk. On 6 and 7 of March, we will try to make adjustments and give a battle to the "Donbass".

- The victory of "Lokomotiv" over "Sarov" helped your players to play more freely today?

- At this point there is a twofold opinion. On the contrary, we feared that the team will relax, and yesterday we talked about this on training, after they learned the result of the match in Yaroslavl. Everyone was happy, but this is only the beginning. We still have not done anything. Someone gets it right, some not, but the problem remains, we want not just get into the playoffs, but something to achieve in it.

- Compared to the game, which took place in Klin on the 5th of February, your players played better or worse?

- In time worked by the installation. Of course, proved himself a goalkeeper. We had a problem with this attitude, but today Khudyakov showed himself to advantage. He has not played since November, after the operation. Pechurski has been taken from us, and we had some problems on a trip to the Ural and Tyumen. Only due to problems in this line, we could not get anything there.

Press Service of HC "Donbass"