Reaction after Russia U20 defeated Sweden

Following the 4:1 victory against Sweden in the first match of the Four Nations tournament in the Czech Republic, under 20 Russian national team head coach Igor Larionov and forward Semyon Demidov shared their views:

Head coach Igor Larionov:

- It was a good game, we had a lot of debutants on the ice for whom it was the first match at this level. I liked our team play, we forced the opponents into making mistakes. It was a complete performance from us and a deserved victory. Were the players nervous when Sweden pulled their goaltender for the extra skater? We made sure that they didn't panic at all, and our guys didn't give the Swedes any realistic opportunities. Before this interview, I spoke with Daniil, a young boy who is in a wheelchair. I first met him two years ago when I was an assistant to Valeri Bragin at the World Championship in Ostrava, he gave me a small coin which I carry around with me for good luck. Such stories give me motivation, they remind our players that their difficulties really aren't that tough. We have to now sleep well and prepare for tomorrow's game.

Forward Semyon Demidov:

- We started well and successfully saw the match out. Despite the Swedish goal, all of us were confident that we were going to win. Igor Larionov puts a real emphasis on passing, we've been working on our mutual understanding. We made a lot of combination plays today.