Goalie Ryan Miller #30 of the Buffalo Sabres punches Jordin Tootoo #22 of the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena on December 3, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
It's high time for the NHL to act when it comes to goaltender safety.
And Nashville Predators forward Jordin Tootoo has given the league a golden opportunity to make a statement-sized suspension.
Tootoo has a hearing Monday with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan after barrelling into Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller in Saturday's game, getting a five minute charging penalty and a game misconduct for his efforts.
Here's a look at the NHL's latest lowlight:
The Sabres are particularly touchy about the situation after the league decided not to suspend Boston's Milan Lucic for hitting Miller - a blow that gave him a concussion - a few weeks ago.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff's postgame rant after the latest incident is well worth a view, as he called on the NHL to finally intervene.
"What happened in the game is a joke," Ruff said. "It's a joke. All it does is just prove the fact right that when I said it was open season, it appears it is open season.
"You get a guy that comes off a concussion, you've got Jordin Tootoo running over your goaltender? We used to get a two-minute power play for that. We got a one-minute power play out of that. That's a joke.
"I want to see what the league wants to do with this one. It's a joke."
Hard to disagree with any of that.
Goalie safety is going to be on the agenda at the board of governors meetings Monday and Tuesday, with the gathered GMs to discuss ways to limit the punishment goalies take.
Making Tootoo sit for 10 games* would be a good start.
(*- Sadly an over-the-phone hearing with Shanahan means his ban maxes out at five games.)