"We forgot about ourselves — everyone thinks more about the team"

CSKA Moscow unexpectedly failed the first three months of the current KHL season. Back in late November, the Red-Blues were out of the playoff zone, in ninth place in the Western Conference, which had not happened to the team for more than a decade. However, since December, Igor Nikitin's wards have been gradually increasing. In the last month and a half, they have lost only once out of 15 regular season matches in regular time. This allowed CSKA to rise to fifth place in the conference and practically secure their entry into the playoffs.

In an interview with Izvestia, Army forward Maxim Sorkin commented on the club's results, told how his December trip with the Russian national team to Novosibirsk for the Channel One Cup influenced him, and also noted the impact on the success of Olympic and world champion Sergei Kalinin, who returned to CSKA five and a half years after leaving the team..

— What has CSKA gained in the last month?

— Yes, they just started playing correctly. They started playing more for the team. We forgot about ourselves — everyone thinks more about the team. Hence the result.

— Was there any specific conversation between the coaching staff and the team, after which this correct game began?

— No, this conversation has been going on all the time, since the first game of the season. But the process of building a game is not fast, so we just go from match to match and try to do better.

— CSKA finally stabilized the results after the break for the Channel One Cup, where your team went in full force with Prokhor Poltapov and Vitaly Abramov. Is this a coincidence, or did that trip give you some kind of reboot?

— There is a certain kind of reboot, switching takes place when you look at another picture for a while. In any case, additional emotions appeared.

— Did the December return to CSKA of Sergey Kalinin, whom you found back in 2020, when he spent his last season with the team, and you just made your debut in the KHL, affect the results?

— It probably took its toll. Serega is an experienced guy. I think he will help us both on the ice and in the locker room.

— How were the holidays for you? Is it hard to get back to training and playing after a couple of days off at the junction of December and January?

— We had a good holiday. The main thing is correct. Everyone came with their heads after the weekend, ready. There were no problems.

— Is there more peace of mind from the fact that you are gradually building up the gap from ninth place and the threat of not getting into the playoffs has disappeared?

"I wouldn't say that. The playoffs started a long time ago for us. Therefore, I repeat, we go from game to game and think about each next opponent.

"Everyone has rolled up their sleeves and is trying to win"

CSKA hockey player Sergey Kalinin — about the team's results in the KHL and Vadim Shipachev's upcoming record

— Is there a minimum level in terms of results in the regular season? For example, finish it in the top 4 in the West?

— No, the task is just to win every match.

— But do you expect things to get even better?

— Of course, we are aiming for maximum results this season. If we act the same way as in the last month, take the same responsible approach to the matches and everyone works for the team, then we can beat any opponent.