Ilya Vorobyov: "The first match is always difficult"

Head coach of the senior Russian national team, Ilya Vorobyov, shared his expectations for the upcoming 2019 IIHF World Championship Group B match against Norway:

- We have high competition within the team, and we are waiting for Nikita Zadorov and Vladislav Gavrikov to arrive. Yes, Nikita Zadorov plays in a physical style, and I hope he won't take any silly penalties. We need solid defensemen and we're looking forward to seeing him on Saturday, he's got a problem with his visa. The first game at any competition is always difficult. We have to prepare for every opponent. Is Ivan Telegin in the side to play on the penalty kill? Yes, you could say that. We tried playing Nikita Kucherov and Evgeny Malkin together, but in truth, it didn't work too well. It would be great if that changed. Has the training process changed without Alexei Zhamnov here? He will arrive tomorrow. The atmosphere in Slovakia is fantastic, it's a true ice hockey country. We're happy to be here.