"Sprong has one of the most accurate and powerful throws"

In recent years, striker Dmitry Buchelnikov has shown himself to be one of the most talented young KHL players, having transferred from Vityaz Moscow to CSKA Moscow in the summer. He had a tough start to the season with the Army, not scoring a single goal in the first nine matches. But at the end of last week, the 22-year-old hockey player managed to score a hat-trick in a home game with Tolyatti Lada (7:2), and his team won the championship for the fourth time and, after a bad start, began to approach the leaders of the Western Conference.

In an interview with Izvestia, Buchelnikov explained how he managed to break the scoring drought, talked about adapting to the game system of CSKA head coach Igor Nikitin, and also shared his impressions of training with the NHL's star rookie forward Daniel Sprong.

— How did we manage to score three goals at once after we had gone scoreless in the previous nine matches?

— I just worked every day, waiting for my chance. And so, in the match with Lada, we managed to score.

— You and Nikolay Kovalenko scored a hat-trick in this match. Have you ever seen two hockey players from the same team score three goals in one game?

"I don't recall that." The case is really unusual. I'm glad for Kolya that he played the match so effectively. I also want to thank my teammates who helped me score my points. But the main thing is CSKA's victory. We had given away three matches at home before, so it was important to win now.

— How difficult was it psychologically to spend almost the whole of September without goals in the KHL?

— Of course, there's a bit of pressure on you when you want to prove yourself, but you can't. It's always frustrating. But patience is the main thing here. I repeat, we must continue to work, and everything will be rewarded.

— When you joined CSKA, it seemed to many that your style of play did not fit the rigid system that Igor Nikitin set for the team. During your scoring drought, it was tempting to link all the problems to that. In reality, how have you adapted to the requirements of the current coaching staff?

— I gradually understand the requirements better and better. Igor Valerievich constantly tells us where and how to play correctly. And he supported me throughout that time when I didn't have any goals. Thank him for that. Of course, it was still hard because of the lack of goals scored, but thank God it all stopped.

— Is it difficult to adapt to a top club like CSKA after Vityaz, which did not fight for trophies, but at most for reaching the playoffs?

— It's hard when you play a little different hockey for a whole year, as it was at Vityaz, and then you move to CSKA, where the tasks are different — you have to play more for the team. It's difficult, but, of course, we need to rebuild. And slowly an understanding comes to what needs to be done.

— What was the situation in the team during the unsuccessful start in general and because of the large number of missed goals?

— We tried not to think about it and just sorted out our mistakes. They were analyzed in detail so that there would be no more of this.

— After the crushing victory over Lada, can we say that the streak of failures has been completely overcome?

— There is no limit to perfection. We need to hone all the skills to the maximum. To win as often as possible and climb the table as high as possible.

— Daniel Sprong's transfer to CSKA has become one of the most high-profile summer transfers in the KHL, given his recent success in the NHL.

— He played in the NHL. Obviously, he has a lot of experience playing overseas. Of course, when you have such players around, you always learn something from them in some aspects. Being near Sprong is a good help for me to continue growing as an athlete.

— What are you trying to learn from him first?

— Probably a throw. He has one of the most accurate, strong and high-quality weapons. And in general, Sprong sees the court well — he is an excellent playmaker.

— Are you surprised how CSKA managed to sign him in the first place?

- no. Why should this be surprising?

— After all, legionnaires of this level have not often come to Russia in recent years.

— Well, he came and wanted to restart his career. I don't see anything so unusual about it. (He smiles.)

— Has Vityaz fully paid off your debts for last season?

— Yes, the debts to the whole team were closed just three weeks ago. Everything is paid, everything is fine. Thank you to the club for responding to the promises you made.