Sergei Shumakov and Ziyat Paigin speak after playing the Czech Republic
Sergei Shumakov, Russian national team forward:
- It's always nice to score a goal, especially in my debut match. I think that we were faster than the opponents, however our unneeded penalties took their toll. Because of them, the Czechs took the initiative. If we would have taken less penalties, we would have played in their zone more. In my line, I, Andrei Svetlakov and Maxim Shalunov feel good together.
Ziyat Paigin, Russian national team defenceman:
- I think that in the second period, our nerves made the difference. Afterwards we played more calmly, however we can still play better. With time we will gain the experience which we now lack - I am talking about the young players who are making their national team debuts. We don't know each other that well yet, but we will play better in the next match.
Russian Ice Hockey Federation