Alexei Zhamnov and Andrei Skabelka speak after Russia defeated Kazakhstan in Moscow

Following the match between the senior Russian and Kazakh national teams (6:2) at the 2022 Channel One Cup in Moscow, the two head coaches both shared their opinions.

Kazakhstan head coach Andrei Skabelka:

- We made some mistakes in defence against a young, high-quality side. Nevertheless, there were some positive moments, this tournament has given us a lot of food for thought. We'll draw the correct conclusions.

- Were you lacking your naturalised players such as Darren Dietz and Curtis Volk?

- Yes, we're not going to deny that. On the other hand, it was a chance for different players to show their capabilities at international level. We saw their level when playing against a strong opponent. Arkady Shestakov's injury? He should be back in a couple of days, it isn't a serious one.

- How did forwards Alexander Borisevich and Artyom Likhotnikov perform? They play in the Kazakh league.

- Both of them played well against such a strong Russian team. The same can be said for Kirill Polokhov.

- Nikita Mikhailis is receiving a lot of criticism this season, but today he dished out two assists. Is he becoming a leading player for Kazakhstan?

- It's too early to speak about that. However, we can see that he is moving well and is gaining confidence. He will strengthen Barys Astana and the national team with his performances on the ice.

- What plans do you have before the 2023 World Championship?

- The schedule is tough. After the season, we are planning to play in friendly games in April and May.

Russia head coach Alexei Zhamnov:

- I think that everyone noticed that our players were nervous at the start of the match. This happened because they hadn't played for the national team together for a long time. Before the game, we asked the players to compete with the required attitude and to pay attention to the opponents. It was a messy game at first, we lost too many pucks at neutral ice. Nonetheless, we subsequently improved and started following the game plan.

- Yesterday, Kazakhstan defeated Russia when playing 3-on-3. Did this give your team additional motivation?

- No. I'm no expert when it comes to 3-on-3, but I know that they want to make it an Olympic sport. I liked what I saw yesterday. Going forward, I think it would be good if the rink size for 3-on-3 is made smaller and to play without offsides and icings.

- This is the only international break of the campaign. Are the players tired?

- Of course they are, already half of the KHL regular season has been played. Those who participated at the All-Star Weekend have found it even tougher. They could do with a bit more rest, but I can't say that the guys are fatigued. Some of the players in this squad have never played at senior international level before, and there's always pressure when you're representing your country. I liked our line of Maxim Dzhioshvili, Ilya Safonov and Dmitry Voronkov, they played quick ice hockey with a lot of power. We will rotate the squad for the Belarus game tomorrow.

- What does the Channel One Cup mean for you this year?

- It means a lot for us. It's an opportunity to get together as a team, we have to remember that we don't have a lot of international matches this season. We want to see some new guys in action on the ice during these two games.