SOCHI -- Another day, another set of linemates for Sidney Crosby.

Canada coach Mike Babcock shuffled his deck of forwards again at practice Tuesday, reuniting the Pittsburgh Penguins duo of Chris Kunitz and Crosby on a line with Patrice Bergeron.

Crosby has had different linemates during Canada's three preliminary-round games here at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and it looks like he will again when Canada plays Latvia in the quarterfinals Wednesday (Noon ET, MSNBC, CBC).

"I think you prepared yourself for that when you got selected to the team," Kunitz said Tuesday after practice. "They're going to try to put the best combinations [for] our team … to win. Wherever they put that, now you want to go on the ice and have your best game."

Norway's lone NHL player, New York Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello, will not play in the team's qualification playoff game Tuesday against Russia (7:30 a.m., NBCSN, CBC) due to a hand injury.

Zuccarello has no points in three games, but is second on the team with 10 shots on goal. He also leads Norway's forwards with an average ice time of 22:25 per game.

The winner of the game between fifth-seeded Russia and No. 12 Norway plays Finland on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens will start in goal for Canada in its quarterfinal game on Wednesday (12 p.m. ET; MSNBC, CBC).

Coach Mike Babcock confirmed the decision Tuesday.

Canada, which earned a bye into the quarterfinals by winning Group B during preliminary-round play, will face the winner of the qualifying-round game between Switzerland and Latvia.

Sergei Bobrovsky will start in goal for Russia on Tuesday in a play-in game against Norway (7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC), according to a team spokesman.

Bobrovsky, who stopped 31 shots during regulation and overtime in a 3-2 shootout loss to the United States on Saturday, his first start of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, served as backup to Semyon Varlamov in Russia's 1-0 shootout win against Slovakia on Sunday.

This will be Bobrovsky's second start in Sochi. Varlamov also started Russia's opener against Slovenia, a 5-2 win.

After watching the group stage of the men's hockey tournament at the 2014 Sochi Olympics there have been a lot of surprises, both good (Slovenia and Latvia have played well) and bad (Russia and Slovakia have not). With the knockout stage beginning on Tuesday, the tension will be ratcheted up another notch and so will the excitement. As we look ahead, though, the first week of the games gave us plenty to talk about.

Here are the things I've noticed so far at the Sochi Games:

THE U.S. HAS BEEN THE BEST TEAM

We all knew the Americans were a talented team and after their performance in 2010 in Vancouver they were clearly going to be a medal contender, but I know I still thought the Canadians and the Swedes would have a leg up. That hasn't been the case. The way the United States has played, its goal-scoring, its defense, I just think they've been the best all around. They're the farthest ahead, they have the most chemistry and they have the most lines clicking.

That said, the United States didn't draw the ideal road for the knockout stages. The Americans will have to play the winner of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and both of those teams have been disappointing so far, but because neither Canada nor Finland won in regulation on Sunday, the U.S. can't avoid Canada until the gold medal game and instead is on track to face its rival up north in the semis.

A pair of Olympic hockey stars got some extra time in the spotlight Monday morning.

United States goaltender Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings and forward T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues made an appearance on NBC's "Today Show" to discuss the Americans' efforts so far at the 2014 Sochi Olympics as well as their own heroics in lifting the team to a 3-0 start and a first-place finish in Group A.

Quick has given up just four goals in winning each of his two starts while Oshie became a household name around the country after an incredible shootout display Saturday in a 3-2 win against Russia.

SOCHI -- Russia's star forward, Ilya Kovalchuk, did not practice with the Russian team during a training session Monday afternoon at Bolshoy Ice Dome's training rink.

The Russians, who finished second in Group A, play Norway, the No. 12 seed, in a qualification game Tuesday (7:30 a.m. ET). The winner of that game advances to the quarterfinal stage on Wednesday and will play Finland, the fourth seed.

Kovalchuk was injured in the second period of the final preliminary game Sunday against Slovakia. He returned for the third period and also took part in the shootout, scoring a goal, as Russia won the game 1-0.

SOCHI -- Anaheim Ducks star Corey Perry has seen the impact the Stanley Cup has when it shows up someplace it normally isn't.

He experienced that again Monday when the Cup arrived at Canada Olympic House inside the Olympic park at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"It's pretty cool," Perry said. "They were pretty excited to see it. I don't know if anybody knew it was going to be here. That's what, as Canadians and as hockey players, that's what we do. We grow up wanting to raise the Stanley Cup. I've had the honor to do it, and it is a special moment.

"I had no idea. I just met my girlfriend here. We just wanted somewhere to hang out and relax because I have the day off. It was my second time in here and I just wanted to see what happens here. It was pretty surprising to see the Cup show up."

Times and locations for the play-in games to advance to the 2014 Sochi Olympics men's hockey tournament quarterfinals have been announced.

All four games will be played Tuesday. Each play-in winner will face off against one of the top-four seeds – Sweden, the United States, Canada and Finland – in the quarterfinal round Wednesday.

SOCHI -- Slovenia forward Anze Kopitar did not finish his team's Group A loss to the United States on Sunday night due to a stomach ailment.

Kopitar, a star with the Los Angeles Kings, left in the second period and did not play in the third. He played 16 shifts totaling 11:31 in ice time.

After the game Slovenia coach Matjaz Kopitar, also Anze's father, said that Anze was suffering from a stomach issue and "had no power."

He also said that he removed Anze from the game as a precaution.