Ilya Vorobyov: "We will play against strong opponents"

Interim head coach of the Russian national team Ilya Vorobyov shared his opinions after the 6:0 victory against Belarus at the 2018 World Championship in Denmark.

Interim head coach of the Russian national team Ilya Vorobyov:

- Let's see what happens. There's no need to get carried away with these large victories.

- You played three matches against weak opponents. What did you learn?

- We told the guys what they need to improve on and how to treat the opponents with a serious attitude.

- This is Russia's best start in history at the World Championship.

- I didn't know that. Write it down for yourselves, but I will forget.

- Does this worry you?

- It makes us more motivated because we will now play Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Sweden, teams which are all strong.

- Was today's first period the toughest at the tournament so far?

- We were a bit tired and Belarus had motivation after losing two consecutive matches. We were lacking freshness and it's difficult to motivate the players when you're winning all of the time.

- What improved after switching Maxim Shalunov's and Ilya Mikheev's lines?

- We made that change in the third period of the game against Austria. We kept it the same today because we liked how they performed.

- Does Maxim Shalunov need a player like Alexander Barabanov next to him?

- If Alexander continues playing so well, any other player needs him.

- He created two chances from nothing.

- He's doing a good job. The tournament is just starting, we continue working.

- Why haven't you made a decision on the players outside of the roster?

- We are continuing to play with this roster.

- Will Ilya Sorokin be registered?

- Yes.

- How is Nikita Gusev feeling?

- His recovery process is improving, but this isn't enough for him to play at this level. We will take it on day to day basis.

- Will Nikita Gusev play against the Czech Republic?

- We'll see how he feels. If he plays before he's ready, there's an injury risk.

- Do you consider Mikhail Grigorenko as a centre forward in this team?

- If all centre forwards will be healthy, Mikhail will move back to the wing.

- How important is it for Russia to play total ice hockey against these opponents?

- It's important to play well. You can call it total ice hockey.

- Who's impressed you more: the Czech Republic or Sweden?

- Both teams are strong, but they play different styles.

- Do you think that the Czech Republic play a more North American style?

- No.

- Who will play between the pipes on Thursday?

- Vasily Koshechkin.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation