Press Conference «Barys – Neftekhimik» 9/26/2026
26.09.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 6–3 win over Barys.
– Before the game, I said that it would be an interesting, back–and–forth game. And that is exactly how it turned out. Both sides created plenty of scoring chances, and there were a lot of goals. Our team played great, especially in the second period. We capitalized on our opportunities during both power plays and penalty kills. In the third period, the opponent naturally stepped up the pressure – switching to a three-line rotation – and really made us work for it. The guys reacted the right way and played smartly during the second half of the third period.– Did you prepare any specific tactical plans to counter Barys's key players?
– We never play man–to–man against specific individuals; instead, we focus on our own game. Of course, we do watch and study the opponent. We know Barys is playing well this season and scoring a lot of goals. Their local players have really improved, and they have good imports. Like I said, we do not target specific players, but our guys understood perfectly well who they were up against. They went out there, battled, fought for the puck, and tried to keep possession rather than giving it away to the opponent.
– Barys and Neftekhimik are close in the standings. How significant was this game for you?
– Every game is important, especially against a team in our own conference. I do not think the mindset changes much from game to game, whether for our team or others. Everyone wants to win and put on a good performance. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes the opponent does not let it happen. Today, we managed to win and score a lot of goals. It is great that we are scoring so much this season; we had trouble with that last year. So far, we are happy with the team.
