Andrei Razin Unimpressed Despite Metallurg's Opening Win

Metallurg Magnitogorsk opened their Fonbet KHL campaign with a 4:2 win over Amur on Sunday, though head coach Andrei Razin was in no mood to celebrate the performance itself.

Asked whether he would tinker with the line-up early in the season, Razin brushed the question aside.

He was blunter still when asked what specifically had gone wrong.

The second period, he said, "is not our game at all." Pressed again after the final whistle on how he rated the opening fixture, Razin repeated the theme.

There were points of encouragement. The line of Jordan Todd, Sergei Tolchinsky and Vasili Vovchenko scored and drew praise for their developing understanding, helped, Razin noted, by playing together on the power-play. Makar Khabarov looked closer to the level he showed in the 2023/24 season — a point Razin declined to elaborate on, telling reporters they had answered their own question. The trio of Vladimir Tkachev, Andrei Kozlov and Kirill Silantyev, by contrast, went without a goal despite having chances, with Razin suggesting the weight of Tkachev's reputation may be pressing on the younger Kozlov.

Metallurg went into the fixture with no injuries from pre-season, meaning Razin was able to field his strongest available squad. Whether he sticks with it will depend, by his own account, on who struggles as the campaign develops.