Arkady Rotenberg: "The guys did everything they could, we are now preparing for the bronze medal match"

Arkady Rotenberg, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation board’s chairman, commented on the national team’s World Championship campaign:

- What feelings do you have from the tournament?

- It was a disappointing result against Finland. However, the game was level, and Russia did everything in order to win. If I am not mistaken, we outshot the opponents 29-16, and 13-2 in the third period. We can’t blame our guys.

In this game, Russia lost to a worthy opponent. All experts have agreed that this Finnish roster is one of the strongest at this World Championship, and they have won nine out of nine games.

- Can we question the players’ commitment?

- Our players, no matter if they came from the KHL or NHL, gave everything and tried to follow the game plan. Even at the end, Ivan Telegin tried to carry on after he received a bad injury. When you play against a team that is at the same level as you, anything can happen. Any ricochet or mistake can prove crucial. Finland took advantage of their chances better. Overall, our ice hockey system is working and we will continue improving in the future. Russian ice hockey is on the right track.

- Comment on how the coaches have performed.

- It wouldn’t be right to say that the Finnish coach beat Oleg Znarok. Both teams had analysed each other well, and the Finns were simply better in front of goal. If Alexander Ovechkin would have scored when we were leading 1:0, things could have been different. Also, when you have such a player of high class in your squad, the coach has to trust him and take advantage of his abilities. Our work is continuing, and we are preparing to fight for the bronze medal.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation