I think the fact that in many ways TT doesn't seem to be any better than he was in his first NHL game that has people concerned. He needs to get stronger for sure, more intense in his play and to bear down, especially when he gets the types of chances he had last night when Hawks were 2 goals down. I can guarantee that Q was not happy with those flippant attempts we saw when the game seemed to be within reach.
If people don't think he is any better then they are missing a lot. He is a much better defensive player and has improved to the point where he is good on both special team units. His offense is not where they expected it to be so the judge him on just that. NOT SAYING YOU THINK THIS WAY.
I think people seem to think that I don't get that he has struggled lately. People keep talking about offense, offense, offense and never mention that he is really good on D and all other aspects. Again he need to put on weight and become more assertive but he is 21 freaking years old in his second NHL season playing with Desi and PD who currently bring NOTHING offensively. Teams now realize this and focus on him (this is obvious in how the over pressure him in the offensive zone). Last night and the past few games have been rough but people want him to be fully developed now and are judging him as such.
People say they don't see "it" but then what did you see in the playoffs because Helen Keller would have seen a rookie playing really well on the biggest stage in the world who has "it". What is the difference between then and now? He was playing with players that have some decent offensive ability and knew when to cut on lanes (by doing this TT was actually able to have some space to operate and create). It is very clear that some people do not understand how players develop because expecting a 21 year old player who is a responsible two-way player to carry a line with Desi and PD (rookie) offensively is not a reasonable expectation. Don't even bring up the games where he sat because we all knew that was a stupid move by Q.
Bold part - Damn right Q is not ok with it but people seem pretty damning of a player after a few rough games.
Don't bring up AP because he has been a pro for far longer and is 24, **** didn't he play on a team with Kovlchuk (spelling).
MM - TT actually tried to split the D twice in the 3rd and it worked once (I assume you missed it because you said you were sporadically watching) and I do agree (as I have continually said before) that he needs be more aggressive. This is something the comes with confidence and typically as a player ages he becomes more confident.