Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. Traktor – 1:4. Press-conference after the match

Valery Belousov, Traktor’s head coach:
We stuck to the game plan all along tonight. I think we had a nice preparation to the playoffs in the form of tonight’s game. Congratulations to my team on a victory.

Paul Maurice, Metallurg’s head coach:
Tonight was a first test before the playoffs. We lost a lot of one-on-one situations tonight, and we can’t do this if we want to go far in the playoffs.

Question to Belousov: Traktor’s young fourth line looked great tonight. Is it just tonight or do they show stellar performances like these on a regular basis?
Belousov: They always play like that – sharp attacks, focus on the net. Great line.

Question to Belousov: The meteor shower in Chelyabinsk is a hot topic right now. Do you have any information as to whether the damaged Traktor Arena will host the playoffs matches?
Belousov: Nothing on this one for now.

Question to Maurice: During the last away game you tried Mozyakin and Korolyuk in one line, but tonight they played in different lines. Which option is better?
Maurice: It’s hard to be upbeat after tonight’s match, but I have to say I liked Zuccarello-Kazionov-Korolyuk line. All in all, we have work to do before the playoffs to determine the best combinations of players.

Question to Maurice: Is it possible to say that you didn’t pick the right goalie tonight or it just wasn’t Ahonen’s day?
Maurice: This was the match where the winner would the get the third place in the East, so I had to pick the #1 goaltender. The first goal was ‘his’, but then Ari made several saves and got back in the game. It was not the goaltenders that made the difference tonight anyway.