Matt Underhill, the unknown goalie unexpectedly playing in his first NHL game.
Tyler Arnason, who snapped out of his slump and stayed in the spotlight by scoring two goals a week after coach Brian Sutter got in his face during a one-sided confrontation in a Nashville bar.
Eric Daze, who sent the seesaw struggle into overtime with 8 minutes 36 seconds remaining in regulation by scoring his second goal in two games since returning from 63 games on injured reserve.
But none of the above won the part.
Instead, the leading man turned out to be Edmonton’s Jarrett Stoll, whose knuckleball-like shot from the left circle fluttered over Underhill’s glove 44 seconds into overtime, sending the Hawks to a 4-3 defeat that stretched their winless streak to six games (0-3-2-1).
“I knew I had time and I wanted to get a good, solid shot, but I got the opposite,” Stoll said. “It was a lucky one. The goalie ? played a solid game for his first NHL game.”
Underhill was anticipating a blast, not a butterfly.
“I thought he was going to tee it up, and he kind of misfired,” he said.
Underhill, who made 29 saves, was in the lineup because the scheduled starter, Michael Leighton, fell ill Sunday morning.
Underhill joined the Hawks on Friday, taking the place of rookie Adam Munro, who went on injured reserve after suffering a mild concussion Wednesday. Underhill was recalled from Norfolk but hadn’t played a game for the Hawks’ AHL farm team. He played most of the season in the East Coast Hockey League.
“I’ve been all over the place,” Underhill said. “The job is the same, no matter where you play?EHL, AHL, NHL. Stop the puck and put everything else out of your mind.”
Said Sutter: “The kid played one heck of a game. He should be proud of himself.”
Arnason had only one goal in the previous 14 games.
“It was good to see Arnie score; it was a long drought for him,” Sutter said.
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Daze, meanwhile, is showing no signs of being distracted by rumors he will be traded. The trade deadline is Tuesday, and scouts from Colorado, Montreal, Nashville and Columbus were at the game.
“It’d be weird to leave here; I’ve been here for 10 years,” Daze said. “I want to be part of this team, but if they want me to move on, that’s it.”