Press Conference «Neftekhimik – Dynamo Msk» 1/21/2026
21.01.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 2–1 shootout win over Dynamo Msk.
– Despite two scored goals, the game was spectacular. Both teams created a lot of scoring chances, and the goalies played well. We could have opened the scoring in the first period, taking a lot of shots on goal. The second period was a bit rough: we lost momentum, had a lot of turnovers, and conceded a goal. The final period started off tough, as we were shorthanded a lot. Thankfully, we held our own, and then added a goal at the end to tie the game. We played great in the shootout and secured an important victory!– Dynamo has been playing poorly in the third period lately, conceding a lot of goals. Have you focused on that?
– There's no focus on practice right now; nothing's being practiced. We do exercises that keep the guys in shape. And then we discuss the details during meetings.
– Maxim Fedotov got injured in overtime…
– The doctor said Fedotov will be out for a week. There was an unfortunate incident. I don't know how it happened, but we wish Maxim good health!
– Before the shootout, the goaltending coach and Yaroslav Ozolin used a tablet to analyze the opponent's play. How long have you had this innovation?
– It's not often that the game goes to shootouts. That's probably why you didn't see it. But the goaltending coach always talks to the guys before the shootout and gives advice. In Dynamo's case, it's clear who will be in the shootout. So, I think Alexey Yuryevich (Mitroshin) discussed specific players with Ozolin.
– Matvey Zaseda scored his first goal for Neftekhimik today…
– We know Zaseda is goal–focused player and makes a lot of shots. I think he made five shots today, one of which was a goal. Matvei did a great job; he lived up to expectations with that goal.
– It's no secret that Andrei Belozyorov is currently chasing Maxim Pestushko's record. Is this something that's being discussed within the team?
– I don't think Belozyorov is focused on the record. We can only sympathize with Maxim Pestushko, because at this rate, he'll have to travel with us to games waiting for this event happened. Overall, Andrei creates a lot of chances for both his teammates and himself. But sometimes he'll score two or three goals in one game, and then not score in the next two. It's inexplicable.
Dynamo Msk Head Coach Vyacheslav Kozlov:
– We had a good first period, despite allowing our opponent to create three dangerous chances. Neftekhimik is a fast team and creates dangerous counterattacks. I'd like to single out Vladislav Podyapolskiy; he kept us in the game. We scored a goal in the second period. We could have scored more, though...
I wasn't happy with the power play today; the guys played poorly during the man advantage. But we played well on the penalty kill, blocking a lot of shots. And late in the game, we didn't get the puck out of the zone, which our opponent punished us for. We had chances in overtime, too, and could have won. But it all went to a shootout, and our opponent was more accurate.
