First off, I know you're dying to read about that Game 7 unless you're a Leafs fan. However, I have to start with an update from the man himself. From Dobber's X account:

Long overdue update

I was recovering well from my March 13 transplant. March 29 – all good, progressing well. But then things took a turn. March 30 I got pneumonia again and had difficulty breathing and was put in ICU. March 31 they had to put me in a coma and machines were breathing for me.

April 5 they brought me out of the coma. My 50th birthday was just me unconscious trying to live.

Anyway, once awake, I had zero motor functions. I could move my head, eyes, fingers, toes, but had no voice nor strength. Four weeks.  later, rehab has been going well. I can now speak hoarsely, and stand on my own. I am eating again, though food is tasteless. Arms and legs getting strength. As soon as I can walk, they will send me home and the nightmare ends. They are shocked and impressed with my progress these few weeks.

Long overdue update
I was recovering well from my March 13 transplant. March 29 – all good, progressing well. But then things took a turn. March 30 I got pneumonia again and had difficulty breathing and was put in ICU. March 31 they had to put me in a coma and machines were…

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) May 4, 2024

Whoa. That's quite a scare. However, it's also a relief knowing that his health is headed in the right direction. I don't know when Dobber will return to action, but he should be given all the time he needs to recover and return to full strength. I do know that he is itching to return to Dobber Hockey as soon as he is able to.

We're all pulling for you, Dobber!

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All right, let's discuss Game 7 of Boston and Toronto, the only game of playoff pucks on Saturday.

Bruins 2, Maple Leafs 1 (Bruins win series 4-3)

In case you missed it, David Pastrnak scored the overtime winner to advance the Bruins to the second round, where they will face Florida. Game 1 of that series will be on Monday.

WINNER WINNER, PASTA DINNER! 🍝

David Pastrňák scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner to send the Bruins to Round 2. pic.twitter.com/UeUS9i7kE9

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2024

Hampus Lindholm executed a perfect (or extremely fortunate) bank pass in the corner, where Pasta was able to take the puck and sneak it past the pad of Ilya Samsonov.

Pastrnak's goal was his first point in three games. He had registered points in the first four games before hitting a dry spell in Games 5 and 6. The Bruins had scored just one goal as a team in each of Games 5 and 6. Despite the lack of scoring, Pastrnak had taken four shots in each of his last four games, so he should be fine if you've got him in your playoff pool.

As the starter for all but one of the seven games in this series, Jeremy Swayman has been amazing. Swayman has registered quality starts in all six of his games, allowing either one or two goals in each game. As I've mentioned before, the Bruins appear to be signaling their intention to make Swayman the full-time starter going forward. Several teams will be looking to improve their goaltending situation this offseason, and Linus Ullmark has the recent Vezina Trophy resume to fetch a solid return for the Bruins. An Ullmark trade would make even more sense if the Bruins can acquire a top-6 center in return.  

The story before the game was who was going to be in the Leafs' lineup and who wasn't. Auston Matthews made his return after a two-game absence due to illness, dishing a nice pass to William Nylander for the Leafs' goal. However, Joseph Woll was unable to start Game 7 due to an undisclosed injury, which had Leafs Nation on edge because he had impressed in both Games 5 and 6. Even though he wasn't the Leafs' first choice for this game, Samsonov played well in stopping 29 of 31 shots.

Between Friday and Saturday, all three games have been 0-0 entering the third period. Teams are clearly bearing down defensively as games become more high stakes. If you're invested in any of these games with a particular team, then you'll know that these games are anything but boring and you're always on edge. The complexion of the game can switch in the blink of an eye. That's why there might not be better television than playoff hockey.

Boston has won every series-clinching Game 7 vs. Toronto since 2013 😤 pic.twitter.com/HLZjZrzvWF

— ESPN (@espn) May 5, 2024

Although the low-scoring playoff games are a league-wide trend, the Leafs have to be left wondering why a team built around the core four has trouble scoring during the playoffs. They've been held to two or fewer goals in 13 of their last 14 playoff games. Add that to the pile of continued playoff failures and it's crystal clear that something has to change for the Leafs. It may be Brendan Shanahan. It may be Sheldon Keefe. It may be one of the core four – my guess is that Mitch Marner would be the player most likely traded out of that group, if there is a trade. Most likely Keefe is done. But they can't keep rolling out the exact same crew and expect different results.

Keefe's quote at the end of the game was particularly puzzling. Perhaps he already knows that his days are numbered.

Sheldon Keefe: "When teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves"

— Sara 'vehemently anti-Rangers for a long time' Civ (@SaraCivian) May 5, 2024

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Matthews, Elias Pettersson, and Jaccob Slavin were announced as the three Lady Byng Trophy finalists on Saturday. When these finalists are announced, I like to check the penalty minute totals for each nominee. Not that having the fewest penalty minutes is the exact criteria for winning the award, but I'm sure it factors in.

Matthews: 81 GP, 20 PIM

Pettersson: 82 GP, 12 PIM

Slavin: 81 GP, 8 PIM

Slavin won the award in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, having taken just a single minor penalty in 52 games. Since then, he's picked up 10, 8, and 8 PIM, all seasons in which he has played at least 75 games. That's a very low penalty minute total for a defenseman, as no d-man that played at least 60 games had that few penalty minutes in 2023-24. About 25 other defensemen with at least 60 games have between 10-20 penalty minutes, while overall penalty minutes have been on the decline in recent years.

I would think there's a lot of subjectivity in who wins this award because it involves the eye test and reputation. However, playing a position like defense at a high level (60 CF%) without putting your team at risk shorthanded should say something, which is why I'd be fine with Slavin winning the Lady Byng.

By the way, among all players who had played at least 60 games, the top nine player CF% (percentage of on-ice shot attempts for) were all from Carolina. Slavin was included among that group. They've been a strong Corsi team the last few years, but it shows how dominant their system can be in games.

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Continuing with Lady Byng nominees, if you watched any of the Canucks series in the first round, you may have noticed that Pettersson hasn't been his usual dominant self. Pettersson was held without a goal in the series, and his secondary assist on Pius Suter's game-winner in Game 6 was just his third assist in six games. He's averaged barely over a shot per game in the playoffs, with a whole bunch more that have been blocked (26 shot attempts). His amazing shot hasn't had the same zip or accuracy as it did in the regular season.

Must of this could be psychological, as Nashville blocked a ton of shots in the series and he may simply need to catch a break and have one go in. Yet he had been struggling in the goal department prior to the playoffs, having scored just one goal in his last 13 regular-season games. That might be the sign of something more serious, such as a wrist injury. Teams will usually sidestep questions about injuries during the playoffs, but then be completely transparent about the injuries once the season ends. If a player's production suddenly goes dry or they seem to disappear during the playoffs, then that is often the reason.

Pettersson's linemates late in the season and in the playoffs have often been Ilya Mikheyev and Nils Hoglander. Both have had their struggles, having both been held without a point in the Nashville series. More time with better scorers might help Petey, but you could also look at it the other way around: Mikheyev and Hoglander aren't scoring because Pettersson isn't right (although Mikheyev has just ONE goal since December 19 – a combined 56 regular-season and playoff games!)

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Look for the writers’ second-round picks once the Dallas/Vegas Game 7 has been completed.

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Threads.