Alexei Kruchinin and Nikita Soshinikov after playing the Czech Republic

Russian national team forward Alexei Kruchinin:

- Nerves? I wouldn't say that. We were lacking quality, the goalkeeper was better than us. We needed to be more clever when presented with opportunities to score against the Czech Republic. They always say that the Czechs try to make you take penalties, but you have to be disciplined and play for the team. I am rarely satisfied with my own performances, there is always something to improve. This time, I think I played better than in the past. However, as this match showed, I have to be better at using my chances to score. In order to win, you need to score on at least 50% of your chances.

Russian national team forward Nikita Soshnikov:

- We were lacking coolness in front of goal. Maybe, luck wasn't on our side. However, it's not an excuse, we needed to score on our opportunities. I find it easier to play here than with my club, the ice is bigger and we create more goalscoring chances.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation