Ilya Pastukhov: «We need to draw the right conclusions and move on»
05.11.2026
Neftekhimik defenseman Ilya Pastukhov speaks with the media after a following 1–8 loss against Metallurg Mg.
– The opponent outshot you 17–5 in the first period. Why could you not impose your style of play on them right from the first minutes?– Because we were not aggressive enough – we lacked that “hunger” to get to the front of their net. Simply hovering around the perimeter is not the right way to play, especially against a team like this.
– You conceded five goals in the second period. What happened?
– Something clearly went wrong. We need to draw the right conclusions and move on.
– Last season you also lost to Metallurg 9–6. Why do such scenarios keep repeating against this particular opponent?
– Metallurg is a highly skilled team. It has great players, and any one of them can decide the outcome of a game. You cannot just play at 100 percent against them you have to give 150 percent!
– This was the final game of a long road trip. To what extent might accumulated fatigue have affected today’s result?
– It should not have had any impact at all. We are professionals, we are expected to show up for every game and win.
– What is the most important thing for the team to do now, after a defeat like this, to properly prepare for the next game?
– Draw the right conclusions, put this game behind us like a bad dream, and get ready for our upcoming homestand.
