Ak Bars forward Grigori Denisenko shared his thoughts on the first game of the Gagarin Cup final against Lokomotiv, which ended in a 1:3 defeat.
— It was a tough start to the series. What are your emotions?
We lost fair and square. A good lesson was taught to us. We’ll draw conclusions, prepare, and correct our mistakes.
— How did you handle the first two minutes of the second period? What did the head coach say during the timeout?
He calmed us down because we started to panic. We played a solid first period, created plenty of scoring chances, but didn’t capitalize. And then we allowed two quick goals—consecutive ones. You can’t let that happen, especially in games like this. The opponent immediately punishes you. We’ll learn from it.
— The team didn’t look worse than the opponent in terms of hockey quality. Does that provide some comfort and motivation for Game 2?
It doesn’t matter. Sometimes you play well and lose, or play poorly and win. The result is the only thing that counts. Everything else fades into the background.
— You came out with strong energy. It’s clear these are intense, meaningful games for you.
Not really. I try to block that out. It’s the final—everyone wants to win the Cup. That’s the ultimate goal.
— Did the week-long break between games and the train trip to Yaroslavl affect the team?
Even if it did, we have to put that aside. There are no excuses. We need to step on the ice and fight for every inch, every centimeter. Play for each other—that’s how results come. Everything else is just noise.
— Do you feel any extra emotion walking through Yaroslavl’s arena hallways or stepping onto the ice?
No. Again, I try to stay detached. Of course, the smell, the atmosphere—it all brings back memories, but I keep my focus, said Denisenko.
