"All the guys are tough." The young players of Barys shared their thoughts on their debut in the KHL.

In an away match against "Avangard" in the Kontinental Hockey League, "Barys" saw the debut of 18-year-old defenseman Roman Bolshdvorisky (who played for 13 minutes and 41 seconds) and 19-year-old forward Kirill Lyapunov (10:13), as reported by Sports.kz citing the press service of the Astana team.

The hockey players shared their feelings after their first game at this new level.

Kirill Lyapunov, forward of "Barys":

— I was really looking forward to my KHL debut, and I'm grateful for the chance given not just to me, but to many young players. We fought hard and tried our best, but we made unnecessary mistakes that we need to avoid. Of course, it was physically tough for us to adjust. All the guys are strong, and it’s challenging to play against them for now. We need to make decisions much faster. In the MHL, things are different; everyone rushes, but many mistakes are made. In the KHL, players act correctly and precisely. It's difficult to create opportunities, and even harder to score.

— Your line with Simonov and Shulga created several interesting attacks. How would you assess your performance overall?
— Overall, we played reasonably well, but there were both positive and negative aspects. Yes, I created a scoring chance for Syoma (Simonov — ed.), but we need to work on our understanding. Ahead of us are equally tough matches in the Far East. We need to rest well and sleep enough. We'll listen to the coaches and try to follow their instructions.

Roman Bolshdvorisky, defenseman of "Barys":

— To be honest, I didn't expect to debut in the KHL this season. I watched "Barys" games throughout my childhood, and today I managed to play for them. Of course, it's challenging to adjust, but if you want to play at this level, you must meet its standards; you have to work hard and improve. The skill level of the players in this league is much higher. They handle the puck differently, think faster, and the pace is entirely different. Personally, I need to learn to react more quickly to the opponent's actions, bounces, passes, and movements.