What the fuck lol. Lucic does a dumbass play where he glides for a bit and throws his arms and body towards Miller pre contact.
Tootoo is straight up pushed into Miller by Ehrhoff and his arms don't even go up until contact was made.
He was driving hard towards the net, momentum carrying him forward, and then was pushed towards the net by Ehrhoff instead of going around the net as is normal.
This was simply an unfortunate hockey play. People, no matter who they are, drive hard to the net then swing around when the play breaks down. It happens multiple times a period. This is simply what happens when the rusher is pushed by the defenseman. Unlike Lucic, who wasn't pushed and had plenty of room to glide before contact, Tootoo was pushed directly into Miller.
It's obviously unfortunate that it had to be the notoriously dirty Tootoo and the just returned from concussion Miller but this isn't even close to a play that can be suspended for. It's so obvious that Tootoo is driving hard towards the net and then pushed into Miller (note how his arms don't come up till after contact).
And duh the announcers are homers lol...they're paid to be. Don't blame them for being homers, but it's unfortunate they decided to be blatantly wrong.
He shouldn't have moved toward miller - especially with his arms directly up to hit Miller in the face - even if there was a better chance to score simply to avoid injuries. Same reason you don't check someone from behind just because it makes it easier to hit. Same reason you don't get your stick up in someone's face even though that's their most vulnerable spot. Goalies getting concussions from players body checks is fucking dumb and not part of the game, same way checking from behind, high sticking, and boarding isn't.
I'm not saying it was fully Tootoo's fault (it definitely wasn't Miller's though), I'm saying it should be made an example of and coaches need to explain "how to not hit goalies" to their players or they will suffer suspensions. Simple as that.
Sorry just have to comment here. Watch the video in slow motion one more time. His arms weren't up until contact was made...and contact was only made due to being pushed by the defenseman. The reason your check someone from behind and don't stick someone in the face analogies don't work is because he didn't choose to run Miller. Your analogies reference the illegal act; check from behind and stick to the face, not the instigating and legal motivations, checking someone more easily or softening them up. It is perfectly legal to position yourself to check someone more easily, just as it was perfectly legal for Tootoo to rush the net. Had there been no contact from Ehrhoff (or even two seconds to readjust himself after Ehrhoff's contact), then this would work with your analogy. As long as Tootoo was pushed into Miller by Ehrhoff, this remains excluded from your analogy due simply to the fact that his motivation was legal (drive the net) and he was pushed into Miller (illegal act caused by defensemen pushing).
