PEORIA, Ariz. -- Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said Saturday it would be "hard pressed" for either Hisashi Iwakuma or Taijuan Walker to be in the Mariners rotation on opening day because of their injury setbacks during spring training. McClendon said the injuries to Iwakuma (finger) and Walker (shoulder) will open up chances for others in camp, but also leave a rotation that had questions entering spring training even more uncertain. "I always plan for the worst and our contingency plan has been that," McClendon said. "So like I said before this gives other guys opportunities to go out and see what they can do. Well see what happens." Iwakuma will have his right middle finger in a splint for another three weeks before throwing, while Walker is being shut down for a week because of inflammation in his right shoulder. By the time the duo make up for missed time on the mound it will be early- to mid-April before either is expected in a game. While Seattle is understandably cautious with the sore shoulder of the 21-year-old Walker because of his age, the finger injury has become frustrating for Iwakuma. When he went to see Dr. Don Sheridan on Friday, Iwakuma had the expectation that he could start throwing on Saturday. Instead, he was told to avoid throwing for three more weeks. The earliest Iwakuma is expected to pick up a ball is March 21. By the time he gets caught up on bullpen sessions and simulated games to get the needed innings to be ready for the season, itll likely be mid-April before he could join the Mariners rotation. "I was honestly disappointed and frustrated too at the same time, but you have to respect what the doctor says," Iwakuma said through an interpreter Saturday morning. "I was ready to play catch today so it is what it is and I have to wait three more weeks." Iwakuma went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA in 33 starts last season and was a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. Iwakuma reported for spring training wearing the splint and said his finger got caught as he tried to retrieve a ball in some netting while working out in Southern California on Jan. 20. McClendon also confirmed -- not surprisingly -- that Felix Hernandez is expected to be Seattles opening day starter when the Mariners open the season on March 31 against the Angels. "Unless youve got somebody else," McClendon joked. "Ill try and see if he can go opening day, the second day and the third day." Stitched Jerseys . Ramirez is still hitting behind Puig, only now they are in the third and fourth spots, and the change is starting to generate positive results for manager Don Mattingly. 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"It gave me a lot of energy," the 18-year-old said. "It was very special. "It just lifts you and you sort of play in the moment. It was good for me and the team." Fucale, given a second straight start after helping Canada to a 5-3 win over Slovakia on Saturday, couldnt recall ever having his name chanted quite that way. "Maybe a couple of thousand chanting against me," he offered with a laugh. "In Quebec City it happened. Maybe tonight a little louder." Connor McDavid and Curtis Lazar scored in the third period and Fucale stoned Connor Carrick on a breakaway. Stefan Matteau scored for the Americans with 2:15 left to play on a shot that eluded Fucales glove, but Canada shut the door the rest of the way to pull off a win in their toughest, most emotionally charged game of the tournament. American captain Riley Barber and Canadas Nic Petan traded goals in the second frame, after Fucale shone in a scoreless first period in which the Americans controlled the play and had a 13-6 shot advantage. Only a regulation time win would give Canada (3-0-1) first place over the U.S. (3-1-0). The Canadians will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Thursday at the Isstadion. As usual, coach Brent Sutter wasnt offering much insight about his teams upcoming opponent. "We now have 48 hours to prepare for our next opponent. Our focus over the next two days needs to be on this game and only on this game," was all he would say. The Swiss pulled off a 4-3 shootout win over Finland, but it didnt lift them out of fourth place in their group. What the win did, however, was give the Americans a very tough quarter-final opponent in Russia. The Canadian squad got all it needed to win -- solid goaltending, timely scoring and strong special teams play. The Americans went into the game with a whopping 58 per cent power play success rate (11-for-19), but were held scoreless during all three man advantages. Canada answered with Lazars power-play marker in five opportunities. "It was the first time weve been minus on special teams in four games and that was the difference," said American coach Don Lucia. Technically, Barbers goal at 3:29 of the second was short-handed. The teams were each down a man and Barber came around the net and caught Fucale moving the wrong way one second after Canadas Taylor Leiers slashing call expired. Some hard work by Anthony Mantha produced the tying goal at 12:49, as he used his long reach to push the puck to the left side where Petan trailed in late to beat Jon Gilles to an open side. Petan had scored the game-winner and an empty-neet goal in Canadas 5-3 win over Slovakia on Monday.dddddddddddd Mantha picked up his team-leading 10th point in four games. Canada killed a penalty to start the third and then got one just as their own power play ended 3:54 into the third when Josh Morrissey got the puck to the net and McDavid had two chances to slide it past Gilles. The 16-year-old McDavid was under pressure since his benching in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Czech Republic, and scoring a goal could go a long way to restoring confidence in the highly skilled Erie Otters forward. "Maybe a little bit," said McDavid. "As a hockey player you have to stay even keeled. Things happen in the game. The highs, the lows. You have to remain pretty confident. I think Ive done a pretty good job of that." Lazar was camped in front for the re-direct on a power play at 6:13 as the puck went from Derrick Pouliot to Jonathan Drouin to the Edmonton forward for his second goal in as many games. "Im really getting into my element," the Ottawa Senators prospect said. "Coach Sutters been moving me around. Ive played centre, right and left wing. Im still getting used to things, but it feels good to contribute." The game also saw big forward Frederik Gauthier moved from left wing to centre, where he drew praise from Sutter for winning several defensive zone faceoffs. But most of the post-game attention was on Fucale, the chatty goaltender who backstopped the Halifax Mooseheads to a Memorial Cup last spring. Fucale was dropped to backing up Jake Paterson after the first of three pre-tournament exhibition games, but it looks like hes Sutters man now. "Hes a confident young man and he stood tall," said Sutter. "We need that." Fucales teammates laugh about Fucales non-stop talking, even when hes by himself in the net during games. "I try to stay low key, but maybe I talk a lot," Fucale said. "I love Zach," said forward and fellow Montreal Canadiens prospect Charles Hudon. "I played with him peewee and bantam (in Boisbriand, Que.) and he had the same swagger. "He was always cocky. It was a good for him and I think the crowd loved it too." "It was unbelievable standing on the blue-line at the end of the game with the fans chanting Fucale," said McDavid. "I had chills and it wasnt for me, so I cant imagine how he felt. "You see a lot of goalies and theyre pretty weird. They have their routines and you cant talk to them, but hes really relaxed and honestly, he does have that swagger." Canada also got a boost with the return of big defenceman Griffin Reinhart after serving a four-game suspension for a slash at last years world juniors. Reinhart was counted on to be the leader on defence and he showed it with 20 minutes of ice time, mostly paired with Matt Dumba. He finally got to play at a world juniors with his younger brother, forward Sam Reinhart. The two were on the ice together a lot, especially while penalty killing. ' ' '