"One should always strive for the ideal"

In early November, goalkeeper Alexander Samonov, widely known for playing for the Russian national team at the 2021 World Cup in Riga, the last with the participation of our national team, joined CSKA Moscow from Ufa's Salavat Yulaev. At first, he did not play in most of the match, but Dmitry Gamzin, a graduate of the army. But already in January, they began to get equal time on the ice, having played two matches each.

CSKA itself gradually gained momentum after a disastrous start — at the end of November, Igor Nikitin's team were in ninth place in the KHL Western Conference, outside the playoff zone, but over the past month and a half, out of 16 regular season matches, they lost only one in regular time. This allowed them to rise to sixth place in the conference and move closer to the top four, finishing in which gives them the right to a home venue in the first round of the playoffs.

In an interview with Izvestia, Alexander Samonov told how CSKA increased in the winter, how he adapted to his new team, talked about his relationship with Gamzin and explained what tasks the team has for the rest of the season.

— You have hardly given interviews since your transfer to CSKA in the autumn. How much have you adapted to the team during your two and a half months in it?

— I've already become quite comfortable in the team. Everything is slowly falling into place. I already understand what we are playing at, what is required of me. The guys are helping me fully adapt. So it's all good.

— What is the specifics of CSKA's game system? How does it affect the goalkeeper?

— It doesn't matter to me. My job is to catch the puck. It doesn't really depend on what tactics we have, what system we play by.

— Do you have an understanding of how the coaching staff will continue to allocate playing time between you and Dmitry Gamzin?

- no. As the coaches tell us before the match who will play, that's how we act. Maybe the staff has some kind of plan, but we are just informed before a particular game who will be on the ice and who will be in reserve. As they say, so we play.

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— What kind of relationship do you have with Gamzin?

— Good relationship. We generally have a good working atmosphere inside. Friendly and competitive. Everything is at a very professional level.

— You managed to catch the November crisis of CSKA, when the team even found itself outside the playoff zone. Can you explain what has helped us rise in the table very seriously over the past month and a half?

— We are working, we are working. We're a team. We fight for each other, we live by the game and we want to win every match.

— In its modern history, CSKA has been characterized by strict discipline almost every season, which allowed the team to win trophies even when the playoff series did not go according to its script. Have you felt it for yourself?

- yes. And that's okay. In principle, there should always be high discipline in any team if you want to win and win trophies. You need to be disciplined everywhere. Not only in sports, but also in everyday life.

— After the team has risen high in the table, what are its immediate tasks? Do you have a goal to finish the regular season at least in the top 4 of the conference, which you are only two points behind?

— We don't think about it at all. We play every match to win. We try to do our job efficiently and honestly. We build on our game. The goal is to win the last meeting.

— What else do you need to improve in order to really compete with the team for the Gagarin Cup in the spring?

— Catch the puck. That's all. It's working out pretty well so far. But it needs to be even better.

— Do you want to play every match without missing goals?

"Why not?"

"Is that possible?"

— You should always strive for the ideal.