Clarke with 1 A and a minus-2 so far today.
Not absolving Clarke of responsibility, but the goaltending and team defense as a whole is pretty bad. For example, on one goal against, the goalie was prone (presumably on the puck) and the rest of the Colts were waiting for a whistle. The puck squirted out of the other side of the goalie, and a Petes player was the only one batting at the puck.
That wasn't even one of Clarke's minuses - he wasn't on the ice at the time.
One of his minuses that I saw (I'm switching back and forth between Kingston (Chromiak) and Barrie); there was an outnumbered attack coming Clarke's way. He was trying to do too much. His partner was covering the puck carrier. Clarke positioned himself as if he thought he could cover the two open players, which ended up putting him in no man's land.
I do think he's already further along than Durzi is now, for comparison. At least as far as defensive reads and incorporating skill with some structured play. But right now, I feel he is falling into the same trap as Durzi where he's playing beyond his means. It leads to learning opportunities and learning limits. But he's definitely more refined offensively than he is defensively.
Chromiak has two assists so far. It's definitely encouraging to be able to build some assist totals and not just goals. Maybe my childhood memories betray me, but there are some Kovalev vibes: you essentially have two different players in the same body. One is skilled; he's fast with a lethal shot and can carry the puck with little compromise to his speed. The other just doesn't move his feet or have any sense of urgency, particularly when the puck is coming back defensively.
These aren't atypical behaviors for prospects/young players. However, he needs to improve his consistency and tempo to give us a better picture of what he will be able to bring.
