Timur Khairullin: «It's hard to win with just one goal scored»
02.02.2026
Neftekhimik defenseman Timur Khairullin speaks with the media after a following 1–2 loss against Salavat Yulaev.
– We played well from time to time. We probably lacked something to score more goals. It's hard to win with just one goal scored. Our opponent scored twice because we made two mistakes. We'll draw our own conclusions.– If we look at the first period, we outshot our opponents by twice. Overall, the team looked better. What adjustments did the coaches make during the breaks?
– I think our movement was good. We had some shots, but we lacked some last time shot.
– There was some physical play. Maybe it was the fighting that was missing to get the team going?
– I don't even know. It's probably not the fighting that should get us going, but good aggressive play on offense. If we'd scored a second goal, maybe we could have had a third. But it was tough today.
– Were your parents at the game today? Weren't they nervous?
– It's always nice when someone comes to cheer you on. I tried to make everyone happy, I played hard, but unfortunately, we lost. We still have one game in hand here.
– At the end of the second period, after a 4-on-4, it seemed like there was some confusion; we almost conceded a goal. Can you tell what happened?
– It's hard to say. Maybe someone made a positional mistake somewhere, and that led to a really strong attack. It's good we didn't concede a goal.
– What is your opinion about the fans who made it to Ufa to support your team
– Our fans supported us well, they pushed us forward. We see this and try to make them happy, but unfortunately, it doesn't always work out.
– Our most common scoreline in games against Salavat Yulaev is 2–1. Why do you think that happens?
– Salavat Yulaev plays well on defense. It's hard to score against them, especially when we trailling. They lock down, play defensively, and their goalie is good, so it's very difficult to break down that defense. We'll try to come up with something to ensure the last game is ours.
