Andrei Nikolishin: shootout win is good, but we need more
Vladimir Krikunov, Neftekhimik head coach:
- Congratulations to Traktor on tonight’s win. Shootouts are not our forte, so to speak. Other than that, it was a tough matchup of two equal teams. We lost our sixth shootout game during this season. We should have scored in regulation but we did not, and I guess that is why we lost tonight.
Andrei Nikolishin, Traktor head coach:
- Thank you. I agree, it was a back-and-forth affair with not as many chances on goal as the fans would have wanted. We also had a lot of trouble in the finishing stages of attacks; I believe they are even more serious in our case than in Neftekhimik’s. Of course, a shootout win is good, but we need more than that.
Question to Nikolishin: Osnovin finally started scoring. Did something change in the training regime?
Nikolishin: You are right. However, he scored only goals in the 30 games before that. He finally started taking shots, going to the goal crease for rebounds. Things do not happen out of nowhere in hockey.
Question to Nikolishin: Novak and Martynov were absent tonight. Any particular reason for that?
Nikolishin: Both are injured. They will miss the next game as well.
Question to Nikolishin: Do you know that Gennadi Tsygurov was in the stands tonight?
Nikolishin: Yes, I saw him, but did not have a chance to speak to him. Hopefully I will talk to him later tonight.
Question to Krikunov: Why did your team that hadn’t had much success in the shootouts play in such a relaxed manner during the overtime?
Krikunov: I don’t know. Of course, shootouts are not our cup of tea. I told my players about it, but we were still unable to finish the game in regulation and in OT.
- Congratulations to Traktor on tonight’s win. Shootouts are not our forte, so to speak. Other than that, it was a tough matchup of two equal teams. We lost our sixth shootout game during this season. We should have scored in regulation but we did not, and I guess that is why we lost tonight.
Andrei Nikolishin, Traktor head coach:
- Thank you. I agree, it was a back-and-forth affair with not as many chances on goal as the fans would have wanted. We also had a lot of trouble in the finishing stages of attacks; I believe they are even more serious in our case than in Neftekhimik’s. Of course, a shootout win is good, but we need more than that.
Question to Nikolishin: Osnovin finally started scoring. Did something change in the training regime?
Nikolishin: You are right. However, he scored only goals in the 30 games before that. He finally started taking shots, going to the goal crease for rebounds. Things do not happen out of nowhere in hockey.
Question to Nikolishin: Novak and Martynov were absent tonight. Any particular reason for that?
Nikolishin: Both are injured. They will miss the next game as well.
Question to Nikolishin: Do you know that Gennadi Tsygurov was in the stands tonight?
Nikolishin: Yes, I saw him, but did not have a chance to speak to him. Hopefully I will talk to him later tonight.
Question to Krikunov: Why did your team that hadn’t had much success in the shootouts play in such a relaxed manner during the overtime?
Krikunov: I don’t know. Of course, shootouts are not our cup of tea. I told my players about it, but we were still unable to finish the game in regulation and in OT.
