Press Conference «Neftekhimik – SKA» 2/10/2026
10.02.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 1–5 loss against SKA.
– During the game, it seemed to me that for the fans the game was actually quite exciting: fast–paced, with plenty of scoring chances and plenty of shots. But here, taking advantage of goal–scoring chances, defensive play, mistakes, and capitalizing on the mistakes the opponent makes or is forced to make is on the first place. That's why today, the opponent was more skilled in this regard won this game. We didn't have it today – we only scored one goal again, which isn't enough.– There were two periods of great hockey, and then the start of the third: we conceded on the power play. Do you think that was the turning point?
– The emotions eased a bit afterward, yes. Basically, it was 1-3 – nothing too terrible, a normal scoreline that could have been recovered in a normal situation. We had the power play, we did not take advantage of it. There was a chance we created to capitalize on, but we didn't capitalize – we delayed the shot, so to speak. The opponent was basically on the counterattack, without much of a chance: the master took control of the game, confidently created a chance, and shot the puck. Apparently, our defensive players weren't expecting such a confident play from Marat (Khairullin), so the puck crossed a goal line. And maybe it wasn't even the goal itself that made a difference. We took two consecutive penalties and conceded a goal during a three–on–five hockey. Perhaps the emotions had already dropped a bit, although we still tried to get the guys going, and they tried hard; they basically stayed focused on the game. But when the intensity drops, perhaps the third period becomes more formal.
– Is there a tendency that after breaks during championship have a negative impact on our team?
– I think it had more of an impact today in terms of taking advantage of goal–scoring chances. While the previous break may have affected the performance, I think the teams were evenly matched in that area, but the opponent's technical execution was superior. They probably practiced more than we did, which is why it felt that way today.
– Igor Larionov, SKA head coach:
I want to congratulate our team on a great win. It wasn't easy, even though the score seems pretty impressive, but we had to work hard.
– This is the second game in a row you haven't conceded more than one goal; today there were over forty shots. Can we say that today's victory is a victory in Pleshkov's name?
– We don't usually single out the best players because all three departments in hockey – goalies, defensemen, and forwards – must play as a team. And always, when a goalie plays well and plays with confidence, it rubs off on the team, giving them confidence. We have a young goaltending unit, and naturally, it's encouraging that as the season progresses, these guys are getting into shape, gaining form, and, most importantly, gaining experience. And today's match, naturally, was quite successful for him. We made 41 shots, the opponent made 42. That's a big minus for our team; we allowed so many shots, but it's good for the goalie because he played well, despite having a lot of shots, but he conceded one. Looking at the overall game, it's naturally pleasing that the guys scored good goals after conceding, took the lead, played solidly, played well, and played as a team. That's encouraging.
