Oleg Leontyev: «It is also great to win in front of the fans»

Neftekhimik-SKA press conference.

Neftekhimik head coach Oleg Leontyev:

– Congrats on this victory! It is nice to defeat a strong opponent. The fans came and supported us. It is a great atmosphere and it is also great to win in front of the fans.

It was a hard game. The opponent was faster. They had 3 days to rest; we played 7 games in 12 days. That is why it is hard. The same guys played a lot. Fortunately, we got through this. They helped Filipp a lot, Filipp helped the team. The character that the guys played with brought us success. We are preparing for the next game.

– In the second period, Neftekhimik center Evgeny Mityakin was injured. After that, he played in the third. What happened?

– There was a suspicion of injury. Evgeny is a real warrior. Fortunately, he was able to continue play. Thank God, there was no injury.

– If you look at the stats, Neftekhimik blocked 27 shots, SKA blocked 7 shots. Is it a key to get a win?

– Of course, tons of blocked blocks is a great help to goaltender. Any blocked shot is a potentially goal-scoring chance. According to statistics, more than 20 blocks is 80 percent of success. Besides that, you need to score goals.

– What about Nail Yakupov?

– Nail practices with the guys who are not in the lineup. Nail is almost ready, maybe not for 100%, we will see him on the ice in the upcoming games.

SKA head coachRoman Rotenberg:

– There was a wonderful atmosphere inside the arena. I would like to congratulate Neftekhimik on this victory. We knew that it was going to be a difficult game. It is always tough for us in Nizhnekamsk. We started well, created a number of opportunities, but our profligacy in front of goal let us down. Also, Neftekhimik goaltender played well. This is a lesson for us. We have to focus on our next important game.

 

– Is there a chance that the Russian national team will play in Nizhnekamsk?

– I think so. This would be the right thing to do. The fans support their team well here and Neftekhimik have an excellent academy. Plenty of great players are here. The level of ice hockey in Tatarstan is very high, both in Kazan and in Nizhnekamsk. Neftekhimik players always play with a lot of commitment. We will work on our finishing in front of the net. We have to be focused on goal-scoring chances. You always need a hero, but we did not find one.