Press Conference «Neftekhimik – Dinamo Mn» 9/11/2025
11.09.2025
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 4–3 win over Dinamo Mn.
– It was clear that the guys came out to the game with a lot of motivation. Nevertheless, it turned out that in the first period we took plenty of penalties. Because of this, the first period ended with an unpleasant score. The most important thing is that no one panicked during the break, no one thought that this was the end of the game. The guys came out for the second period with the same fighting spirit. It is good that we scored two quick goals, it gave us more energy and confidence. Then the guys started fighting, they felt that they could score more. They played selflessly and achieved a worthy victory.
– What is the taste of victory in the KHL?
– Regardless of the league, victory always brings positive emotions. We are all athletes, and we all strive for victory. It is clear that the higher the level of the league, the more significant the victory. Nevertheless, a victory is a victory.
– As a rule, after three conceded goals, the coach changes the goaltender. Why did you decide to keep Ozolin?
– There was no reason to change the goaltender, as there were a lot of penalties in the first period. They were shooting at our net, the opponent, if I am not mistaken, made 20 shots. We played against a strong opponent who actively plays in front of the net. I had no complaints about Ozolin, and I did not think about changing the goaltender either. Thank God, Yaroslav remained in the last line of defense. He played the next two periods great.
– At the last press conference, you talked a lot about how important it is to believe in yourself. Did self–confidence play a key role today?
– At the beginning of the press conference, I said that after the first period, the guys continued to believe in themselves. They felt that the game could still be turned around. In principle, we had a good start.We took a lot of penalties, that is why the initiative was taken by the opposing team. I will note that there were leaders in the team who can get the guys going. The captain said his words in the locker room. I hope this victory will give us even more faith in ourself. Otherwise it will be hard.
Dinamo Minsk Head Coach Dmitry Kvartalnov:
– We had a good first period. After that, I did not recognize the team. In the second and third periods, we stopped doing everything. There were many giveaways that led to conceded goals. You could say that today we lost to ourselves.
– What is the taste of victory in the KHL?
– Regardless of the league, victory always brings positive emotions. We are all athletes, and we all strive for victory. It is clear that the higher the level of the league, the more significant the victory. Nevertheless, a victory is a victory.
– As a rule, after three conceded goals, the coach changes the goaltender. Why did you decide to keep Ozolin?
– There was no reason to change the goaltender, as there were a lot of penalties in the first period. They were shooting at our net, the opponent, if I am not mistaken, made 20 shots. We played against a strong opponent who actively plays in front of the net. I had no complaints about Ozolin, and I did not think about changing the goaltender either. Thank God, Yaroslav remained in the last line of defense. He played the next two periods great.
– At the last press conference, you talked a lot about how important it is to believe in yourself. Did self–confidence play a key role today?
– At the beginning of the press conference, I said that after the first period, the guys continued to believe in themselves. They felt that the game could still be turned around. In principle, we had a good start.We took a lot of penalties, that is why the initiative was taken by the opposing team. I will note that there were leaders in the team who can get the guys going. The captain said his words in the locker room. I hope this victory will give us even more faith in ourself. Otherwise it will be hard.
Dinamo Minsk Head Coach Dmitry Kvartalnov:
– We had a good first period. After that, I did not recognize the team. In the second and third periods, we stopped doing everything. There were many giveaways that led to conceded goals. You could say that today we lost to ourselves.
