Press Conference «Neftekhimik – Ak Bars» 11/21/2025
21.11.2025
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 2–3 loss against Ak Bars.
– It was quite an interesting and hard–battled game. There were a lot of goal–scoring chacnes, fans like such games. I think the teams had the same chance of winning. Unfortunately, the opponent scored 3 goals when we scored 2.
– Can we say that it was a game of mistakes?...
– I think today was the game of those who made others make mistakes. It is better to call the game that way.
– How would you rate the way Dergachyov and Popugayev played?
– For Popugayev it was the second game after the injury. He looked much better today. Nikita played sharp and created chances.
Dergachyov played his first game after a serious injury. It feels like there is a completely different atmosphere in the locker room, on the bench as well as on the ice. We have been waiting for the leader to return!
– What can you say about Artamonov?
– It was clear that he was gaining more and more confidence with each period. I think he played well for the first game. Let's see what happens next.
– After conciding a goal, the team cut opposing team's lead. How did you manage to get back into the game?
– We fought to the very end. Despite conceding an empty–net goal, the guys went out on the ice with an aggressive attitude. Perhaps it helped us to reduce the gap. In principle, with a successful combination of circumstances, they could even the score in the end.
– Both goals were scored from the slot. Did you focus on this?
– Probably, all the teams pay special attention to the slot. This is the area from where the most goals are scored. But you do not have to do it one time at a time. Today we scored two goals from the slot, but we did not score from other areas.
– Evgeny Mityakin scored his 14th goal of the season, he is going for the best record of his career.
– From the first day, Evgeny proved that he is a hard–working player. He always treats training with responsibility. There were no complaints about the preseason training. I think his attitude affects the statistics. He is a true professional. I hope he will break all his records this season.
– In your opinion, can Ozolin be a good competitor for Dolganov? Yaroslav had a good game.
– Competition is the engine of progress. If there is a chance, then it should be used. Yes, Yaroslav played well today. Despite the defeat, he can take advantage of today's game. I think it will add confidence to him. We will be happy if we have two solid goaltenders.
Ak Bars Head Coach Anvar Gatiyatullin:
– It was really interesting game for the fans. You could say it turned out to be a game of chance without a neutral zone zone. There were many chances on both sides. Fortunately, we managed to get an important. Special thanks to our fans for their support!
– Why did not the team manage to enter the game aggressively?
– Games in Nizhnekamsk are always difficult. We understood what to expect from our opponent. Perhaps the not-so-best start is due to our last home series, which we did not do as well as we would have liked.
– Can we say that it was a game of mistakes?...
– I think today was the game of those who made others make mistakes. It is better to call the game that way.
– How would you rate the way Dergachyov and Popugayev played?
– For Popugayev it was the second game after the injury. He looked much better today. Nikita played sharp and created chances.
Dergachyov played his first game after a serious injury. It feels like there is a completely different atmosphere in the locker room, on the bench as well as on the ice. We have been waiting for the leader to return!
– What can you say about Artamonov?
– It was clear that he was gaining more and more confidence with each period. I think he played well for the first game. Let's see what happens next.
– After conciding a goal, the team cut opposing team's lead. How did you manage to get back into the game?
– We fought to the very end. Despite conceding an empty–net goal, the guys went out on the ice with an aggressive attitude. Perhaps it helped us to reduce the gap. In principle, with a successful combination of circumstances, they could even the score in the end.
– Both goals were scored from the slot. Did you focus on this?
– Probably, all the teams pay special attention to the slot. This is the area from where the most goals are scored. But you do not have to do it one time at a time. Today we scored two goals from the slot, but we did not score from other areas.
– Evgeny Mityakin scored his 14th goal of the season, he is going for the best record of his career.
– From the first day, Evgeny proved that he is a hard–working player. He always treats training with responsibility. There were no complaints about the preseason training. I think his attitude affects the statistics. He is a true professional. I hope he will break all his records this season.
– In your opinion, can Ozolin be a good competitor for Dolganov? Yaroslav had a good game.
– Competition is the engine of progress. If there is a chance, then it should be used. Yes, Yaroslav played well today. Despite the defeat, he can take advantage of today's game. I think it will add confidence to him. We will be happy if we have two solid goaltenders.
Ak Bars Head Coach Anvar Gatiyatullin:
– It was really interesting game for the fans. You could say it turned out to be a game of chance without a neutral zone zone. There were many chances on both sides. Fortunately, we managed to get an important. Special thanks to our fans for their support!
– Why did not the team manage to enter the game aggressively?
– Games in Nizhnekamsk are always difficult. We understood what to expect from our opponent. Perhaps the not-so-best start is due to our last home series, which we did not do as well as we would have liked.
