Metallurg won the derby with Traktor Magnitogorsk Metallurg lost to Salavat Yulaev with a score of 1:4, failing to cope with the legionnaires of the Ufa team.

Press conference with head coaches Ilya Vorobyov and Tomi Lamsa, and also players Andrej Nestrasil and Markus Granlund

PRESS CONFERENCE

Ilya Vorobyov, Metallurg head coach:

– One can say not many words about the game. We have to prepare for the next game against Traktor and trying to snatch this win. The team has much room for improvement. The players have to score, there is nothing to add.

– Tonight Salavat Yulaev was good at forechecking. Evaluate the players' actions.

– I agree with you. Tonight Salavat was good at dribbling and bodychecking.

– Did you decide to put Gleb Nosov in the net because Artyom Zagidulin already had got enough load in the last games?

– Yes, we assumed that he has already got enough. Moreover, he missed preseason and hasn't been playing for 9 months.

– What can you say about goals in the first seconds of the periods?

– We keep saying that the first and last parts of a period are very important. And here is a person, quick to hit.

– How serious was the serviceman's injure?

– He received stitches.

– Though Korobkin and Shvyryov have just recovered, they were good tonight. So can we say that thanks to a young age they can quickly show their shape?

– It is hard to say, there no rule who and how bears the illness. It depends. Potekhin, who was the first to be released from quarantine, is still trying to recover. Someone bears it easier. Someone then falls into the pit. It is very complex process.

Tomi Lamsa, Salavat Yulaev headcoach:

– I think we played today very good hockey game. The main thing that satisfied me is our defense because though it was a road game, we scored 4 goals. It is a big thing. But the main thing is our defense. Everyone played good in defense, all 4 units, all 5 guys. That's a big thing. Today the first line did a good job. All scored goals. Big goals. And also Metsola helped the guys. It was a big game. That is why I am satisfied.

– Soshnikov can't score for a long time. What the problem is? Maybe he'd better play in another line?

– I agree. But we try to find solid unit and solid lines. At the moment he is playing with Kadeikin. For sure, we are trying to find a solution. But I think it's like an easy way out if you always change something. My opinion is that we need to work. The boys need to work together, on the ice and off the ice. So that's the thing. It is good that two other lines could score, and we won the game.

– Why didn't Mukhamadullin play tonight?

– We wanted to give him a little rest. He joins the national team next week and also he had a little injury. Not a big thing.

– In the second period Markus Granlund started to replace Manninen at the faceoffs. Why did he?

– Because Manninen felt that Granlund might win these face-offs. It is a normal situation, boys can change. We wanted to find a hot guy who can take those face-offs.

– Do you want to try some young players in the game against Kunlun?

– I don't know yet, I don't have any answer. Tomorrow we make the decision. We are in a good situation. We had many good players.

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Andrej Nestrasil, Metallurg forward:

– Tough game. It is good to be beaten by one a really good line: Hartikainen, Granlund and Manninen. They were really well and scored 4 goals. Nevertheless they are not unbeatable, just we are in such situation. A lot of guys came back after covid. A lot of guys are tired to play a lot of minutes. But everyone is in the same boat, we just need to pick it up, play harder and get prepared for the next one.

– You said that you were beaten by one link. You didn't analyze how they play and didn't prepare to play against them, did you?

– Of course we analyzed their game. Some say that they are unbeatable, but they aren't. But we just didn't do enough job today, and they played better defensively. It summed it up. So there is nothing else I can say.

– Why Metallurg wasn't active and aggressive in own zone?

– Tough question. We obviously tried to play as aggressive as we can. I think overall we gotta do a better job. We should have been changing our lines, because we stayed on the ice maybe for too long. And when we got in our zone, the defenders were on the ice maybe for too much. And it hard to play aggressive. I just think that it is up to us, forwards, we have to do a better job, to keep the puck in the offensive zone. So these can change and fresh guys come out. So that way we can be more aggressive.

***

Markus Granlund, Salavat Yulaev forward:

– It was a good game, we won. It was a big win for us. I think, we were defending good, and we scored when we had chances. Good win.

– Do you agree that tonight forechecking was a strong side of Salavat?

– Yes, I think so. All 4 lines were working hard, we were skating, we were pushing their guy. I think it is one of the best thing of this game.

– How can you explain problems in power play?

– Yes, I think we were struggling. But we have only one power play today. But I think we need to look at it and figure it out.

– How do you feel after covid?

– It is not fun when you get it. And it takes time to get back to normal. Hopefully I'll be back and playing.

– Do you have a special desire to win the game against Kunlun?

– Yeah, for sure. In this league every team is very good and every team is hard to play against. It is gonna be the last game before the break so it is gonna be a huge game for us.

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