The Group A showdown between the United States and Russia at Bolshoy Ice Dome will have a couple of especially interested spectators: Canada coach Mike Babcock and executive director Steve Yzerman plan to be in attendance.

"You go to see high-level hockey and what the standard is," Babcock told the media Saturday morning.

Canada has the day off before facing Finland, with the winner earning first place in Group B and a bye into the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Slovakian forward Tomas Marcinko, who sustained a leg injury in his first game for his country in a loss to the United States on Thursday, will not play another game at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The International Ice Hockey Federation website reported the news Friday morning.

Marcinko, who sustained torn ligaments, also may miss the remainder of the season for HC Kosice in the Slovak Extraliga, according to team doctor Vladimir Luptak. He had 10 goals and 28 points in 44 games for HC Kosice this season.

Sweden captain Henrik Zetterberg did not take part in practice Thursday and missed the team picture due to a herniated disk.

Zetterberg is day-to-day and could still play against Switzerland on Friday (7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN), according to Sweden team doctor Bjorn Waldeback.

"We will [make the] decision [Friday] and see how he feels and how he adjusts to anti-inflammatory treatment and rest," Waldeback said.

Semyon Varlamov of the Colorado Avalanche will start in goal for Russia in its first game of the 2014 Sochi Olympics against Slovenia on Thursday (7:30 a.m. ET, MSNBC, CBC), according to a tweet from the IIHF.

Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets will serve as his backup.

Forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Brooks Orpik will be in the United States lineup against Slovakia on Thursday when it opens play at the 2014 Sochi Olympics (7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN).

Forward Derek Stepan, defenseman Justin Faulk and goalie Jimmy Howard will be scratched, according to USA Hockey.

Here is the projected lineup:

Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne, playing in his sixth Olympics, will captain Finland's team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Selanne, 43, has seven goals and 20 points in 47 NHL games. In five previous Olympics, he has 20 goals and 17 assists in 31 games. He won a silver medal in 2006, and bronze medals in 1998 and 2010. Twice he's led the Olympics in scoring, with 10 points in five games in 1998 and 11 points in eight games in 2006.

Edwin Minney, one of the top goaltender prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft, made 20 saves and the United States beat the Czech Republic 3-2 on Saturday to win the 2014 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament at Dmitrov Arena in Dmitrov, Russia.

The U.S. jumped to an early lead on Joe Wegworth's goal 4:15 into the game. Dylan Pavelek scored at 15:51 of the first to make it 2-0 and Brandon Fortunato's goal with 47 seconds remaining in the opening period gave the U.S. a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Czechs responded with two goals in just over a minute in the second period to make it a one-goal game, with top European draft prospect Jakub Vrana having a hand in both scores. Vrana, No. 5 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of European skaters for the 2014 draft, scored a power-play goal at 7:30 of the second. Just 64 seconds later, Vrana set up Filip Pyrochta for a goal at 8:34.

The Americans tightened up in the third period, allowing the Czechs just three shots. Minney, No. 2 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goaltenders for the 2014 draft, stopped all three shots in the third. In two games at the tournament, Minney went 2-0-0 while allowing five goals on 50 shots for a .900 save percentage.

Hilary Knight scored the opening goal 53 seconds into the game and assisted on Kelli Stack's game-winner in the United States' tournament-opening 3-1 win against Finland at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Alex Carpenter also scored for the United States and Jessie Vetter made 14 saves. Susanna Tapani scored for Finland, while Noora Raty stopped 40 of 43 shots.

Knight opened the scoring early in a first period, one in which the Americans outshot Finland 15-3, before she set up Stack's goal 7:42 into the second to give the American women a 2-0 lead. The 19-year-old Carpenter, the daughter of longtime NHL player Bobby Carpenter, scored her first Olympic goal on the power play to extend the U.S. lead to 3-0 with 4:01 remaining in the second.

Tapani scored Finland's lone goal 15:22 into the third with Brianna Decker off for hooking. But the standout player for the Finns was Raty, who won back-to-back NCAA national championships with the University of Minnesota in 2012 and 2013. The Finnish goaltender kept the score respectable as the United States outshot the Finns 33-7 in the opening two periods.

Nashville Predators general manager David Poile is recovering from surgical procedures in his nose and eye areas Friday in a Minnesota hospital and his travel to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Olympics has been delayed.

Poile was hit in the face Thursday by a deflected puck during the Predators' morning skate at Xcel Energy Center and was taken to an area hospital.

Poile also is the general manager for the United States Olympic team and was scheduled to travel with other NHL Olympians to Russia on Sunday. In a statement released by the Predators, Poile still hopes to join the team in Sochi.

Dylan Larkin, a top prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft, had two goals and an assist as the United States beat Sweden 4-2 Friday for its third win in as many games at the 2014 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament at Dmitrov Arena in Dmitrov, Russia.

Larkin, a 6-foot-0.75, 190-pound center with the United States National Team Development Program under-18 team, is No. 17 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters for the 2014 draft.

Alex Tuch and Ryan Wagner also had goals and Blake Weyrick, No. 2 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American goaltenders, made 24 saves.