Press Conference «Ak Bars – Neftekhimik» 9/17/2025
17.09.2025
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 2–1 win over Ak Bars.
It was a tough game for us. The main thing is that the guys fought hard and scored on the power play. I think that this win iswell–deserved.
Haven not we won in Kazan in the regular season for a while? We do not think about that in years; we focus on our game. Some things work out better than others. But victories like these, even with the opponent's advantage, give the team strength and confidence.
An important part of the team is a good atmosphere, when everyone comes out eager to fight for each other. We managed to do that in a short period of time; the team underwent a significant change during the offseason, with a new coaching staff. We tried to create an atmosphere where everyone supports each other. When we are driven, we win; we are more motivated to attack and shoot. A victory like that is better than a loss with a lot of shots on goal.
Naturally, the two preseason games gave us information; we saw our opponent's strengths and tried to work on countering it.
I have been working for a long time. It has been the same with children's teams, junior teams, and even in the VHL. Wherever I have arrived, the first few months were always difficult for the team to adapt to my approach. Of course, I want things to be better as quickly as possible, but I generally expected us to underperform in the preseason. We wanted to win, but I think the longer we go, the better the guys will understand what needs to be done; they basically already do. We need to improve offensive play; we need to work on that more. What about defense? Everyone is working on defense; we explain to the guys how to play. Offense is creativity, defense is work. The main thing is to make them work, and to create on offense.
Maxim Fedotov? We are happy with his signing. Max is great; he is a right fit for our team, adding creativity to the attack and confidence. He knows his strengths and is not afraid to make mistakes. We were lucky to sign him. Comparisons to Makar? I think it is fundamentally unfair to compare hockey players to each other; everyone is an individual. Maxim also thinks he wants to be more like himself, not Makar.
We are will not see Nikita Khoruzhev play anytime soon; we expect him to join us after his recovery after the road series. We will see how his recovery goes; the sooner he returns, the better things will be for the team.
Haven not we won in Kazan in the regular season for a while? We do not think about that in years; we focus on our game. Some things work out better than others. But victories like these, even with the opponent's advantage, give the team strength and confidence.
An important part of the team is a good atmosphere, when everyone comes out eager to fight for each other. We managed to do that in a short period of time; the team underwent a significant change during the offseason, with a new coaching staff. We tried to create an atmosphere where everyone supports each other. When we are driven, we win; we are more motivated to attack and shoot. A victory like that is better than a loss with a lot of shots on goal.
Naturally, the two preseason games gave us information; we saw our opponent's strengths and tried to work on countering it.
I have been working for a long time. It has been the same with children's teams, junior teams, and even in the VHL. Wherever I have arrived, the first few months were always difficult for the team to adapt to my approach. Of course, I want things to be better as quickly as possible, but I generally expected us to underperform in the preseason. We wanted to win, but I think the longer we go, the better the guys will understand what needs to be done; they basically already do. We need to improve offensive play; we need to work on that more. What about defense? Everyone is working on defense; we explain to the guys how to play. Offense is creativity, defense is work. The main thing is to make them work, and to create on offense.
Maxim Fedotov? We are happy with his signing. Max is great; he is a right fit for our team, adding creativity to the attack and confidence. He knows his strengths and is not afraid to make mistakes. We were lucky to sign him. Comparisons to Makar? I think it is fundamentally unfair to compare hockey players to each other; everyone is an individual. Maxim also thinks he wants to be more like himself, not Makar.
We are will not see Nikita Khoruzhev play anytime soon; we expect him to join us after his recovery after the road series. We will see how his recovery goes; the sooner he returns, the better things will be for the team.
