Igor Grishin: «It was a game of two halves»

21.08.2026

Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 4–2 win over Neftyanik.

– It was a game of two halves. We came out sharp, moved the puck well early on. But the boys aren’t quite at 100% yet – that is preseason. In the second period, our passing started to go sloppy. Every time we gave it away, the other guys smelled blood and grabbed the momentum. But credit to the guys – they dug in, took back control, buried the big goals, and got the win. We know these opponents inside out – we have crossed paths plenty in the VHL, and they're one of the heavyweights over there. So you cannot afford to take a shift off against them. Neftyanik came to play, no doubt. We got a long look at our lines. That is what these preseason battles are for – testing, tweaking, figuring out who fits where.

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