Maybe he was over-thinking the game? He's one of few who have a legit shot of making the big club and his defensive game was sound from what I heard.
I liked what I saw from him. He's a smart player who understands the smaller nuances of the game. He played well, it's not that.
It's just that he's not as fast or explosive as a guy like Toews or Kopitar (the big two way first line centers that he is sometimes compared to). Ultimately, i don't see him being a good as those guys, which is unfortunate because you need that kind of player to win a Stanley Cup or even just to go deep in the playoffs.