Underhill Starts

Matt Underhill became a last minute starter for the Hawks today, when Michael Leighton came down with the flu. Through one period, one PP GA, 10 saves. I'm listening on radio in Chicago due to the Hawks wondrous policy of no home TV. Had I known he would start, I'd have been there.

Just beat me out.

Ari - if you're watching the game, you can give better updates than I can from radio. Otherwise, I'll post again after the 2nd period.

Oilers just scored again. It's 2-2. Sounded like Underhill didn't have much of a chance.

ESPN has a blank under "Chicago goalie."

2 GA on 19 shots after 2.

Game is not being televised anywhere, courtesy of Bill Wirtz.

I just saw the highlights. Neither goal really Underhill's fault. He's made some decent saves. This is a huge game for the Oilers so hopefully the Hawks can play spoiler.

Just saw the Oiler goal replays while watching Calg.-Colorado. The first was a great play by Brewer closing in on net. The second was on a rebound by Jason Smith from in close.

Edmonton goal off the faceoff. Sounded like Matt wasn't even ready.

Game's tied at 3, Eric Daze scored to tie it.

Going into OT tied 3-3. Underhill has stopped 28 of 31 shots so far.

Photo of Underhill:

[sports.yahoo.com]

Oilers win in overtime on a "knuckling floating shot" per Hawks announcers.

Underhill takes the loss in OT on a weak shot per Chicago play-by-play.

Edit: Looks like I'm 2nd with this info

Edmonton 4, Chicago 3

Preview - Box Score - Recap



1 2 3 OT Total

Edmonton 1 1 1 1 4 Final

Chicago 1 1 1 0 3 OT





Scoring Summary
1st Period
Chicago 8:41, Tyler Arnason 15 (power play) (Tuomo Ruutu, Jim Vandermeer)
Edmonton 10:23, Eric Brewer 4 (power play) (Radek Dvorak, Petr Nedved)
2nd Period
Chicago 2:39, Tyler Arnason 16 (power play) (Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Berard)
Edmonton 6:48, Jason Smith 6 (Fernando Pisani, Ethan Moreau)
3rd Period
Edmonton 6:21, Eric Brewer 5 (Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff)
Chicago 11:24, Eric Daze 2 (Jim Vandermeer, Tyler Arnason)
OT Period
Edmonton 0:44, Jarret Stoll 11 (Ethan Moreau, Marc-Andre Bergeron)

Team Shots on Goal Faceoffs Power Plays
1st 2nd 3rd OT Total Won Lost Converted Total
Edmonton 11 8 12 2 33 38 37 1 5
Chicago 12 3 8 0 23 37 38 2 2

Edmonton
Goalies Shots Saves
T. Salo 23 20

Skaters TOI G A +/- SOG PIM
M. Bergeron 20:23 0 1 +1 2 0
E. Brewer 25:56 2 0 0 5 0
J. Chimera 6:44 0 0 0 1 0
R. Dvorak 17:23 0 1 0 2 0
S. Horcoff 20:32 0 1 +1 1 0
G. Laraque 6:34 0 0 0 1 0
E. Moreau 13:47 0 2 +2 6 2
P. Nedved 17:12 0 1 0 3 0
A. Oates 10:01 0 0 0 0 0
F. Pisani 14:41 0 1 +1 2 0
A. Semenov 17:10 0 0 0 0 0
J. Smith 19:46 1 0 +1 1 0
R. Smyth 22:08 0 1 0 5 0
S. Staios 17:48 0 0 +1 1 2
J. Stoll 12:39 1 0 +1 2 0
R. Torres 14:57 0 0 0 0 2
I. Ulanov 18:36 0 0 +1 0 0
M. York 19:02 0 0 0 1 0

Chicago
Goalies Shots Saves
M. Underhill 33 29

Skaters TOI G A +/- SOG PIM
J. Aitken 19:46 0 0 0 0 0
T. Arnason 16:29 2 1 -1 5 0
M. Bell 19:18 0 0 -1 2 0
B. Berard 18:33 0 1 -1 1 0
E. Daze 17:52 1 0 -1 4 0
A. Karpovtsev 23:11 0 0 -1 2 0
I. Korolev 12:27 0 0 0 1 2
B. McLean 16:06 0 0 -1 0 0
T. Moen 8:53 0 0 0 0 2
S. Nichol 18:51 0 0 -1 1 0
E. Nickulas 13:18 0 0 -1 0 0
D. Quint 17:18 0 0 -1 4 0
T. Ruutu 17:13 0 2 +1 0 0
J. Strudwick 20:31 0 0 0 1 2
R. VandenBussche 8:31 0 0 0 1 0
J. Vandermeer 21:32 0 2 -1 0 2
P. Vorobiev 12:01 0 0 0 0 2
M. Yakubov 11:25 0 0 0 1 0


Penalty Summary
1st Period
Edmonton obstruction - interference - 2 min 7:18, R. Torres
Chicago obstruction - hooking - 2 min 9:29, I. Korolev
2nd Period
Edmonton obstruction - hooking - 2 min 1:36, E. Moreau
Chicago holding - 2 min 3:25, T. Moen
Chicago roughing - 2 min 8:43, J. Strudwick
Chicago slashing - 2 min 18:17, J. Vandermeer
3rd Period
Chicago slashing - 2 min 11:39, P. Vorobiev
OT Period
None

[sports.yahoo.com]

Edmonton 4, Chicago 3, OT

Preview - Box Score - Recap

March 7, 2004

AP - Mar 7, 4:56 pm EST
More Photos


CHICAGO (AP) -- Jarrett Stoll scored 44 seconds into overtime, giving the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

Stoll's shot from 30 feet glanced off the glove of Chicago goalie Matt Underhill, hit the crossbar and deflected into the net.

Edmonton's Eric Brewer had two goals, the first multiple goal game of his six-year career. Jason Smith also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 3-0-1-1 in their last five games.

Chicago's Eric Daze scored with 8:36 left in the third period, setting up overtime.

In the right circle, Daze took a pass from Jim Vandermeer, spun and fired a shot between Tommy's Salo's pads.

It was the second goal in two games for Daze, who had returned Friday after missing 63 contests due to a herniated disc and surgery.

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Tyler Arnason had two goals and an assist for Chicago, which is winless in its last six (0-3-2-1). Tuomo Ruutu had two assists.

Underhill, playing in his first NHL game, made 29 saves. Salo stopped 20.

Arnason opened the scoring midway thought the first when he circled behind the net and tucked the puck inside the right post.

Brewer tied it less than two minutes later with a power-play goal. He drove to the net and tipped Radek Dvorak's perfect feed from the left boards past Underhill.

Aranson's power-play goal at 2:39 of the second gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. His scored on a shot from the slot off a pass from Ruute along the right boards.

Smith tied it at 2-all at 6:48 of the second. He pounced on a rebound after Underhill made a pad save on Fernando Pisani's drive.

Brewer's second goal of the game at 6:21 of the third period to gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead. After a faceoff in the Chicago zone, Brewer stepped in from the left point and fired a screen shot past Underhill on the glove side.

Notes

Arnason had just one goal and five assist in his previous 14 games. He had his second multiple goal game of the season. ... Underhill was informed about his first NHL start only hours before the game. Michael Leighton, who was scheduled to start, was scratched because of the flu. ... Underhill is the sixth goalie to play for the Blackhawks this season, a team record. He played 27 games this season with Florence in the ECHL and four with Manchester in the AHL. ... Chicago rookie Tuomo Ruutu has five goals and nine assists in 10 games .... Oilers LW Mike York returned Sunday after missing 16 games with a broken left index finger.... Smith's goal was his sixth of the season, a career high. ... Edmonton C Shawn Horcoff had an assist, setting a career high for points at34.

Pretty good for his first NHL game, he faced a lot of shots and gave the team a chance to win. That last goal is a little concerning, but it's not like it matters, they get a point anyway. Think he'll get another start anytime soon?

If you read the finalized recap from AP, Matt gets his first quote, and a little more about him:

"I just wanted to get it through, get a quality shot," Stoll said. "By fanning on it, I think he [Underhill] misread it because it was going so slow."

Underhill, playing in his first NHL game, was expecting a harder shot.

"It went off his stick funny," Underhill said. "I thought he was going to tee one up. I think it misfired and kind of went back the other way on me. I'd like to lose on a better goal."

Underhill, who hadn't played a game at any level in two weeks, made 29 saves. Salo stopped 20.

Chicago coach Brian Sutter told Underhill he'd start only three hours before the game. Intended starter Michael Leighton was scratched with the flu.

"It just knuckle-balled on him," Sutter said of the game-winning goal. "That's unfortunate ... ."

So, lots of press, although not all great, as an NHL player already.

Overall the Chicago press was encouraging.

The "Daily Herald" headline was "Dream comes true for goalie Underhill" with a sub heading, "Rookie looks good in debut."

[www.dailyherald.com]

[q]For the Blackhawks, it was just another day in their tumultuous season.

In losing 4-3 to Edmonton in overtime at the United Center on Sunday afternoon, the Hawks were forced to use a club-record sixth goaltender since the start of the year, got 2 goals and an assist from the embattled Tyler Arnason and a third goal from Eric Daze, who may be the next veteran moved before Tuesday's trade deadline.

Matt Underhill, most recently of the lower level East Coast Hockey League, started in goal when Michael Leighton was unable to play because of flu-like symptoms.

The 24-year-old Underhill, who just signed a contract the other day on an emergency basis after Adam Munro suffered a concussion, made 29 saves in his NHL debut and played well. He was beaten by Jarret Stoll's flutter-ball of a shot at 44 seconds of OT.

"I thought he was going to tee it up, but he kind of misfired," Underhill said. "I'd like to have lost on a better goal.

"Getting this chance was a dream come true, but when you get right down to it the job's the same no matter where you're playing." [/q]

[q]Underhill found out he was playing from the coaching staff about three hours before the opening faceoff.
"To be honest, I didn't know how to tell him or when to tell him," Sutter said. "But the kid played one heck of a game."
[/q]

The "Chicago Tribune" headline was "Floater foils heros", subheaded "Stoll's knuckler in OT sails over Underhill's glove".

[www.chicagotribune.com]

[q]There were three Blackhawks auditioning for the role of the hero when Sunday's game with Edmonton went into overtime:

- Matt Underhill, the little-known 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."[/q]

Someone on USCHO said that there was a picture of Underhill in the New York Times today. I tried searching for it online, but I couldn't find it. Anyone know if there is a copy online or was it only in the paper version?

Thanks!

Congrats to Matt for getting the call. I didn't expect him to be in the NHL so soon (though I guess the Hawks didn't either).