Nikitin Praises CSKA Character in 3-0 Win Over Torpedo

CSKA Moscow beat Torpedo 3-0, and head coach Igor Nikitin pointed to one thing above all after the final whistle.

Nikitin called Torpedo a strong side that was in good form, and said his own team had to grind through spells of the game. Goaltender Dmitry Gamzin made several key saves, and the coach said the whole squad felt the tension in the dressing room, with Gamzin doing his job just as the rest of the players did theirs.

Robert Hamilton sat out. Ivan Patrikheev came into the lineup instead, a young forward, giving CSKA 12 senior forwards and six senior defencemen alongside one limit player. Nikitin said the move carried no hidden meaning — the pairings on the ice were simply the ones the staff wanted to see.

Nazar Privalov, 17, did not play against Torpedo either. He had featured against Spartak only because Klim Kostin was ill. Nikitin said the club does not yet know how many matches Privalov can handle in a row, and that development at his age needs a careful approach rather than getting ahead of things — training remains just as important for a player that young.

CSKA's president, Esmantovich, said this month the club had rebuilt its roster with new defencemen specifically to fix power-play flaws exposed by last season's quarterfinal exit. The caution around fast-tracking a 17-year-old forward fits that same pattern — building depth without rushing the pieces meant to last.