Press Conference «Neftekhimik – Avangard» 11/14/2026
14.11.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 1–5 Avangard.
– The game broke into two halves. We played quite well in the first, but the second did not go our way, especially after the second goal. We opened the third period with an aggressive first shift, but during a four–on–four, where we had actually set up as if we were on a power play, the players we put on the ice gave up a goal. The team’s morale took a hit, and it could not quite recover for the rest of the game.– So did Okulov’s goal break the team’s spirit?
– That happened during that four–on–four stretch. We were preparing for a power-play situation and sent out our top special-teams unit, but Konstantin is a true master: he got the puck, took his shot, and scored. Credit to him, but not to us.
– Have you had any talks with the players about not looking at the league standings?
– We have not. I do not know, maybe that is something to consider. I do not always check the standings myself; for me, the quality of our play is what matters. I am not always satisfied with how we are playing, and I do not always look at the table. A couple of days ago I actually thought we were lower in the standings than we are now.
– Could you say that Matvei Nadvorny was missed today in the lineup?
– That is on us, it is our mistake.
– The team lost while wearing new uniforms. Could that have an impact, given the various superstitions players might have?
– I do not think that is something to focus on. What do the uniforms have to do with it? The most important thing is not the uniform, it is the performance. The uniforms look nice, but the substance of the game is what counts.
– What went wrong with the power play today?
– Everything – it was just a disaster. We had run drills specifically for Avangard. We knew they would pressure us and play at a high pace. We prepared for that, intending to move the puck quickly and find open lanes for each other. Honestly, I was embarrassed.
– Why is Semyon Ruchkin playing on the top special–teams unit?
– The guys will read this. A power-play unit needs a defenseman with a strong shot. Many KHL teams have such players. Unfortunately, none of our defensemen pose a real shooting threat. At one point we hoped to have a defenseman who could get open for a pass from a forward and move the puck effectively. Max Fedotov often hits the pads, and Artyom Serikov’s shots do not always land. We tried Semyon in that role, and it worked – we were able to keep the puck low, play down-ice, and score goals. Unfortunately, we do not have a defenseman in the mold of Orekhov or Denis Kulyash.
– Is there an option to put a forward with a good shot on the blue line?
– Have you seen how our forwards track back on defense during a five–on–four power play? If we do not have a single defenseman back there, it will be a total disaster.
– The team looks cohesive and is among the league leaders, but lately it has lacked consistency. Do you need further reinforcements?
– Absolutely. Every KHL team is active in the transfer market, signing new players. The only exceptions are teams that are already in great shape, like CSKA or Lokomotiv. We do not have any transfer news yet, even though we have stated that we need targeted additions. Sometimes the power play works well, but it varies from game to game – there is no consistency. At times our key players perform brilliantly, but today’s game was simply unacceptable.
– Could it be that your players are already looking beyond the first round of the playoffs?
– We will see. Today some of our players just vanished, they were nowhere to be seen, though I will not name names. We do have off games; in our recent outings we have been giving up too many goals. We rank last in shots allowed against our goal – meaning we concede more shots than anyone else. That indicates we are doing a poor job of blocking shots and getting into the shooting lanes.
