Press Conference «Avtomobilist– Neftekhimik» 9/21/2025
21.09.2025
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 4–1 win over Avtomobilist.
– The guys moved well throughout the game. We maintained the tempo and capitalized on the power play at the right moment. Thank God, our power play works. Thanks to all of this, we achieved a great victory!– Avtomobilist's counterattacks were not working at all. Have you studied your opponent that well?
– We do not analyze the opponent, but rather specific moments in past games. We point out the guys' mistakes and offer our own suggestions for how to handle similar situations. We are pleased that the players respond appropriately. Admittedly, we made few mistakes today."
– Today was Popugaev's first game in the KHL. You put him on the special team. Moreover, he scored his first goal in the league. How would you comment on his performance?
– We know Popugaev's skill level, so we decided to put him on the first special team. He has a good shot and can make a surprise shot. The fact that he only played his first game today... It just happened. Before this, we had won three games in a row, so there was no reason to change the lineup. Today, we decided to try out a couple of new guys, including Nikita. Congratulations on his first KHL goal!
– Your next game will be against Avtomobilist again. Is this schedule a plus or a minus for you?
– I do not think it makes much of a difference. We have the same mindset for every game. Yes, perhaps in a situation like this, you learn your opponent's style of play. But Avtomobilist can study our game in the same way. Yes, we had some problems in the second period: the opponent closed us down in our own zone, shooting at our goal. But we made some changes at halftime and played a completely different game in the third period. We are expecting them in Nizhnekamsk; we will meet again in a couple of days.
– You had decent games in Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg. How would you rate the road trip?
– We started our road trip with a match against Ak Bars. So the game against Traktor was our second. Otherwise, we have won two of three – quite a good result. We are happy with the road trip, despite the loss in Chelyabinsk. Although we could have snagged at least one point in that game, we had a chance. It was a good road trip, and we are heading home in a good mood.
