Ivan Nikolishin: «I think that everyone had their chances»
22.12.2025
Neftekhimik forward Ivan Nikolishin speaks with the media after a following 2–3 shootout loss against Metallurg Mg.
– It was pretty hard and an interesting game. Metallurg Mg is a good team, they play well and skate well. It's a pleasure to play against such an opponent!– Well, today, already at the beginning of the game, you created four scoring chances, but only scored one goal. How can you explain the lack of scored goals?
– Composure, skill... We need to work on this to capitalize on these chances, and then, I think, we'll win more often.
– Which part of the game was the turning point?
– There wasn't a clear turning point, rather the game was a seesaw: sometimes they had the advantage, sometimes we did. That's why it's so difficult to point out a turning point. It was great that we held on in the end while shorthanded and in overtime, three on four—that's invaluable.
– Your line played very effectively. You scored two of the three goals. What's the secret?
– I think that everyone had their chances, but we were just luckier in some areas, and our line scored two goals.
– The team was practically playing shorthanded in the third period. Was that a result of pressure from the opponent or a lack of concentration?
– I think it was a combination of factors. The home team, I repeat, is a very good team that skates well. I think they stepped it up, and we couldn't keep up with them in some areas.
