INNISFIL, ONT. -- Sunday is an extra special day for Darren Echhardt of Innisfil. Not only is he playing road hockey with his kids on his birthday, but he gets to watch his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs too.

“Never in my wildest dreams …I couldn’t ask for a better birthday,” Echhardt said.

Sunday night’s game between the Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets is the first in a five-game playoff series. Restaurants, bars, and stores selling team merchandise are hoping hockey helps them out.

“We’ll be promoting it as much as possible, and hopefully we’ll have a good turn out,” says Tobin Browning, owner of the Last Shot Bar and Grill.

But whether or not to grab a seat at the bar and watch the game is a choice many fans are still debating.