Rangers player ejected for spitting on opponent, likely facing suspension

Miller's actions resulted in a five-minute major match penalty, which not only calls for ejection from the game but also puts the player under suspension pending review by the commissioner. 

All of that is significant for the Rangers.

When it comes to Sunday's game, they were already playing with a shorthanded roster with only five defensemen due to salary cap reasons as the team works to create space under the cap to acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. With Miller ejected, that took them down to four defensemen for the remainder of the game.

It also is almost certainly going to keep Miller out of the lineup for at least a couple of games as the league tends to dish out suspensions for this sort of behavior.

A couple of years ago then-Washington Capitals defenseman Garnet Hathaway was suspended for three games for spitting on Erik Gudbranson.