German Tochilkin: «We try not to look at the standings too often»
24.12.2025
Neftekhimik forward German Tochilkin speaks with the media after a following 2–3 overtime loss against Avangard.
– It was a disappointing defeat. Why were not we able to secure the win?– Yes, I agree with you, it was very disappointing, a nasty defeat. We needed to hold on a little longer for about a minute, or play more persistently in other areas. In overtime, we were not able to take advantage of our goal–scoring chances, but we were probably more fortunate, because we had our chances. We will work hard–everything will alright!
– You scored two similar goals. Did you study his style of play, or did you just play according to the situation?
– No, I played according to the situation. Thank God it worked out that way.
– Speaking about the game, how did Igor Grishin react to the team's performance in the first period?
– Everything is calm now. He is conveying his calm, saying we need to play, attack more, take advantage of our chances, and definitely not rely only on defense. That is, attacking in the first, second, and third periods as well.
– Vasily Ponomaryov (Avangard player) said that at some point, Neftekhimik simply started reading Avangard's play, the same plays they had been playing before. Did you change your game plan at all in response to this? To what extent, and in what ways, did you change your game plan?
– Well, of course, this is not our first game against each other. We are already reading their plays and analyzing them. We also have a video coach who works really well with us and helps us, so we are already changing our game in some ways to improve it and produce results.
– Was there a specific plan for how to play to avoid the mistakes that made in the previous game against Avangard?
– No, there was not one, we just played according to the situation.
– It seems that Neftekhimik play better against top. Maybe you find it more interesting to play against them?
– Yes, in some way...
– How often do you look at the standings?
– We try not to look at the standings too often, focusing more on our own play rather than on our competitors'. It's simple: if you win, you will be higher on the standings. So we only analyze our own play.
