Comments from the Coaches After the Barys vs. Neftekhimik Game

After the Barys vs. Neftekhimik game (1:2 OT) a press conference was held with the head coaches of both teams.

Oleg Leontyev, Head Coach of Neftekhimik:

- It was a nervous game today, naturally, as it's the start of the championship. Moreover, we played away against Barys, which has significantly strengthened this season, and we could feel the crowd’s support. It’s always tough to play here. The intensity of the match was clear – it was a hard-fought battle. It was great that we held out in penalty kills. We were left shorthanded three times. We blocked a lot of shots, more than 20, and showed character. Plus, we had the will to win – we came back from 0-1 and fought to the end. Dea scored a great goal in overtime. Once again, I’ll say, Barys has a very serious team this year, and it won’t be easy. But our guys did a great job, congratulations on the win!

- How would you comment on the penalties your team took?

- The second penalty – our player against a Barys player – legs were out, unclear, 50-50. A controversial moment, but the referees decided it was a penalty. The third was for shooting the puck out of play, it happens. Overall, we played carefully and within the rules, as we always do.

- Was today’s victory due to patience?

- We started well, created scoring chances. Then Barys took the initiative, and the game went back and forth. Yes, we were patient, waiting for our chance. Barys attacked well and had good chances to score. So I think the fans enjoyed the game. In overtime, we scored a good goal.

- How has Barys' game changed compared to last season, when they won three matches, including an 8-0 game?

- You never forget a game where you concede eight goals. As I said, Barys has changed a lot. The roster is different. They have excellent foreign players now, of a high level, and they caused us plenty of problems today. Barys will be a serious opponent for us this year.

David Nemirovsky, Head Coach of Barys:

- I think it was a good game. It was tough for the guys who just arrived, but they did well anyway. They moved well. I think it’ll be easier for them in the next game. We held a lot of the initiative, but the problem was that even though we had more possession and played more in their zone, they took more shots than us. So in the next game, we need to focus on shooting and working in front of the net. We didn’t shoot enough or screen the goalie enough.

- The second pair of defensemen – Beaulieu and Antipin – did you pair them because they played together in Buffalo?

- Yes, they are familiar with each other. They’ve played together before, so it’s easier for them to start the season that way.

- In overtime, while shorthanded, Beaulieu was paired with Beketayev.

- The guys only arrived yesterday and hadn’t even practiced yet. Today was their first skate, and it was the first time they knew who they were playing with. Aside from the first line, the rest hadn’t practiced together. It’s tough, but they did well and worked hard.

- Ansar Shaikhmeddenov played as the center during the penalty kill in overtime. Was that a risk or a proven strategy?

- He’s shown he’s reliable in defense. He played well on the penalty kill during the preseason, and we believe he will help us in that area.

- Will you be changing the player combinations?

- Of course, we still need to see how players look together in practice. Again, we played a decent match, and we all understand the situation, but it’s still disappointing. It was the first game, we understand the situation, but that’s no excuse. We should have won it.

- It was the first game of the season, what did you think of the crowd's support?

- They supported us well, and I think the players really felt it. Of course, we needed to reward them with more goals. We needed to create more scoring chances to give the fans more reasons to let out their emotions.

- Did you pay attention to the mistakes from last season?

- We constantly talk with the management and analyze the mistakes. Last season was tough, with a lot of player changes, many injuries, and other issues. Now, we’re looking at every player and trying to make the game as good as possible.

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