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Maple Leafs’ William Nylander picks Bruins fans as least intimidating in BarDown ‘call out’ video

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2024, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 2, 2024, 07:42 EDT
Members of the Toronto Maple Leafs called out other teams in the NHL in a light-hearted video released by BarDown on Monday.
Among the players invited to dish out their thoughts on some opposing teams included Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Max Domi. They were asked about several topics, ranging from which city has the best restaurants to which team they scored the most against.
Among the questions they were asked in the over 14-minute video, three particular ones stood out, one of them being which fans they were the least intimidated by. Matthews and Joseph Woll picked the Sabres because many Leafs fans invade KeyBank Center when the team makes the trip down to Buffalo, while Morgan Rielly chose the Canucks for a similar reason while also adding it is a homecoming game for him.
The best answer of the bunch was Nylander’s when he said ‘Let’s go the Bruins’ before bursting out laughing with the BarDown crew. Some Leafs fans will be surprised to see him go with Boston given the playoff history in recent years has been one-sided (including this past spring), but it shows his confidence and being unphased that Nylander chose them anyway.
Another memorable question was when the Leafs were asked which team they hated losing to the most. Three different players included the Bruins because of the long-standing rivalry while Tavares and Rielly also picked the Canadiens. It is interesting to see that some of the Leafs who participated didn’t choose the Senators, though I would imagine it has to do with the rivalry being somewhat dormant for many years now.
Anthony Stolarz also had an interesting answer, saying he doesn’t like losing to the Devils because they are his boyhood team and he always wants to put on a good performance for his friends and family. This will surely be a relief to some Leafs fans that opposing players wanting to play well in their hometown is a universal phenomenon and not just a byproduct of Toronto.
When they were asked which goal horn they hated hearing the most, the Leafs players nearly unanimously chose the Blue Jackets’ horn simply because of the cannon that goes off, which can easily startle them when they aren’t expecting it. The only one to choose a different answer was Stolarz as he chose the Rangers because he hated theirs dating back to when he was a kid cheering on the Devils. He recounted the joy he felt in shutting them out at Madison Square Garden earlier in his career because he didn’t have to hear the horn that night.
“I always thought the “hey! hey! hey!” was obnoxious.” Stolarz said with a sly grin.
It was all lighthearted and in good fun, but some of the answers the Leafs players provided were nonetheless intriguing to hear. Seeing them feel so relaxed and showing off their personalities is always a treat for the fans who often don’t get to see what their favourite players are like when they aren’t at the rink.
You can watch the full video down below:
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