Nikita Nesterov: it was a tough match, but we pulled off the win

– We are returning home uplifted, hoping to return to Kazan to game 7. I would like to thank our fans for their support. It was a tough match, but we pulled off the win.

What did Valery Belousov say prior to the overtime?
He told us to focus on the defense and possibly avoid penalties. We had a couple of them though, but survived during the shorthanded play.

Were you upset when Kontiola could not capitalize on the penalty shot?
Sure, it was a great chance. We believed that he’d score, but he could not. That’s ok though; Petri himself got the win for us.

How do you like your new position?
Perfect! Essentially I don’t need to do anything new; I have to concentrate on the defense. My linemates are young and fast skaters, so my goal is to pass the puck to them or dump it into the attacking zone.