22 September 2023

Emil Nurgaliev: "We need to go out and give 110 per cent of our best"

Barys defenceman Emil Nurgaliev, who scored his first puck in the KHL, commented on the meeting with Spartak.

- It wasn't like we kept the last game in our heads and thought it would be the same. We tune up for each opponent and prepare for each match in the same way. It doesn't matter if the opponent is in first or last place. We want to go out and win every game. Unfortunately, already in the first period we missed two times in the shorthanded. Of course, coaches show us all these moments. But today we didn't play our best in unequal lineups.

- First goal in the KHL, a bit untypical for a defenceman. Tell me about that moment.

- Arkady Shestakov went upstairs, I saw a corridor that I could tap into. At the change of movement of the opponents' players, I went to the goal, waited for the moment to shoot, shot, and scored.

- Today in many episodes we looked for an extra pass to complete the attacks. Did you have any thoughts of passing in this attack?

- I looked at the pass line to Sanya Borisevich. I could see it wasn't going to go through, the defenceman was reading it. So I decided to shoot. Borisevich then took the puck to me as a souvenir. I dedicate my first goal in the KHL to my whole family: my parents, relatives, girlfriend and sister.

- Andrei Shutov's scoreless streak, a record for him in the KHL, was broken today. Do you keep such things in your head that you need to help your goalies in such situations more than usual?

- In general, it's a working process, and I don't really follow such numbers. We just want to help the goalkeepers in any episode, because the game of the whole team depends on their confidence. Whether he played ten or 100 minutes, the main thing is to do everything that depends on us, and even more than that.

- Today we blocked only six opponents' shots. Andrei Vladimirovich said at the press conference that it's hard to win games with so many. Do you agree with that?

- Yes, we need to add to that component, we need more catching on ourselves. This is again to talk about helping the goaltenders. It also brings the result. We will try to improve the situation.

- Ahead is the match with Sibir, to whom we have already lost twice this season. What conclusions should we draw before this game?

- We need to go out and give 110 per cent. As I said before, we set up for each opponent in the same way. We just need to play our game, fulfil the coach's instructions, and the victories will come.