Press Conference «Avangard – Neftekhimik» 4/1/2026
01.04.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 3–4 overtime loss against Avangard.
– We were going to play hard, it was a tough game for us and our opponent. Early in the game, the home team had a huge advantage, or maybe our guys were a little burned out, feeling the responsibility of being the last line of defense; if the game went poorly, it could be the end of our season. That's why I think we played a very stiff first period. We took a long time to make decisions, the opponent kept forechecking, and the first period ended quite favorably, 1-1. We talked during the break, tried to relaxed the guys, and they came out for the second period with a completely different attitude. Avangard couldn't play at such an aggressive pace. There's a limit to how much pressure we can generate. We capitalized on our chances, everything was going well, but unfortunately, we lacked the experience to hold on to the winning score.All the games in the series were qutie similar. In the first game, Avangard was a little dismissive of us; we had plenty of room and they attacked a lot. We didn't win the first game, but we had a lot of scoring opportunities. It was clear later that the home team tightened up their play, regrouped, and began giving us less space. We were having a good first game in Nizhnekamsk, but a man-up with eight minutes remaining at 1-0 gave our opponents, who had the best power play in the league, another chance, and they capitalized. That game was crucial for us, but unfortunately, we didn't win it. We fought hard, we tried hard, the guys did a great job, and I'm grateful to them for the season; they're great. I really wanted to take Avangard back to Nizhnekamsk, but we were eight seconds short.
– In the third period, your team had complete control of the puck, and Avangard didn't attack at all. What did your players do wrong, because it seemed like Avangard couldn't get anything going?
– I don't want to criticize the guys now; it's simply a lack of experience. We don't have many players who have played in the playoffs at this level, against such a strong team. There was a mistake in front of the goal crease; there should have been more players. I don't know why. Maybe they were trying to score into an empty net because the game was in the third period. Also, when Damir shot, the puck hit a broken stick, bounced the other way, and ended up with Okulov. And he used it in such a way that we conceded.
– You said you'd use psychological tactics, drawing on your experience. Did you change anything?
– I was asked this question today. We did practically the same thing as last season against Dynamo Saint Petersburg; we showed a motivational film, and that probably played a role. The starting point was a little different; the opponent wasn't as authoritative or skilled as Avangard. It worked better last year; I thought we were a bit stiff in the first period. But we played well after that, so maybe that played a role, too.
– We went into the decisive game with some interesting decisions, with Ozolin as your second goalie, and Mityakin's 331–game iron man streak snapped. Could you tell us why?
– Zhenya (Evgeny Mityakin) was injured in his first game here, and he played the next three games with an injury that prevented him from fully showcasing his potential. We need healthy players, and the opponent is very tough and powerful, so we made the decision to leave him on the bench. Although we understand it's not very pleasant for him. Yaroslav played today, which was indirectly planned. We'll be getting by with more than just Filipp in the series, and Yaroslav will be involved too. He came on in the third period last game and played well, and he played very well today.
– How difficult was it to get the lineup in terms of optimal one?
– Shafigullin and Belozyorov left the ice, overcoming their own challenges. Now we can say that the fans understand how hard it is for the players and yet they put in such a decent series.
