The goaltending match-up is set for Saturday’s game between the United States and Russia.
Russia announced Sergei Bobrovsky would get the start against Team USA (7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN). That pits him against Jonathan Quick for the United States in what is shaping up to be the marquee game of the opening round of the Olympic tournament.
Semyon Varlamov earned a 5-2 win against Slovenia on Thursday for the Russians, but isn’t the clear top man in net. Bobrovsky, the 2013 Vezina Trophy winner, will have his opportunity to stake a claim on the starting job against the U.S. Should he play well, he’ll have a strong case built to stay in goal the rest of the way.
The last time Bobrovsky started a game for Russia was in the 2008 World Junior Championships.