SOLR
Registered User
I don't think so. US/Can are always superior due to sheer masses, it has always been so. Only way Finland, Czechs etc. can fight against that is system, that's why Finland has won so many medals best vs best over the years, even though material isn't even close to NA countries.
Sure, Finland had couple excellent batches of players and and they won gold immediately. Why? Superior system combined with lot of talent like Rantanen, Aho and Laine. Finns have a good pool coming again with 2006-07 born players so coaching better be good.
I don't disagree with this, what I'm disagreeing with is the elevated expectations that coaching can always make up the difference between two different levels of talent. It can't and right now you don't have the Barkov, Lundell, Aho etc. that can exploit the breaches created by the system.
Sometimes US/Can just has too much talent, there is a cycle in Canada/US too. Against Bedard, it was a bit too hard on anyone else.