Ryan Reaves is FIRED UP for Game 6 this evening

It's do or die for the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening and veteran forward Ryan Reaves wouldn't have it any other way.

When asked by reporters what his mindset is for this evening, he had another perfect soundbite for social media:

“We planted the fucking seed… Let's go back home and water that bitch.”

- Ryan Reaves

If you hadn't inferred from his language, Reavo is FIRED UP for Game 6.

Oh, and in case you missed the news earlier this morning, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that superstar forward Auston Matthews will be out of the lineup for Game 6 tonight.

ESPN insider Emily Kaplan attempted to get some inside details on Matthews' mystery injury and/or illness and was pretty much stonewalled by the organization. What she did uncover though is that Matthews did in fact have an illness that prevented him playing earlier in the series, but that illness has now shifted into something else and THAT'S what's keeping him out of the lineup.

More from Kaplan:

Now... I'm not a betting man, but if I were I might make a bet on Matthews having a concussion. It's not uncommon to suffer from nausea or vomiting when you're experiencing concussion symptoms. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to assume that Matthews was dealing with that all the while thinking he had a stomach issue or some sort of food poisoning. That could now have shifted into other concussion symptoms that Matthews is fighting through, things like migraines, dizziness, etc. Again, this is all speculation on my part though.

Read below for our earlier report on the Leafs' AHL call-ups made yesterday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made some pretty significant minor league call-ups today, after their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been eliminated from the AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs.

In total, the Leafs have called up 9 players from the AHL.

Joining the NHL squad are Dennis Hildeby, Kyle Clifford, Topi Niemela, Alex Steeves, Marshall Rifai, Maxime Lajoie, Mikko Kokkonen, Dylan Gambrell and Nick Abruzzese.

These players are all likely to watch from the press box, but there's a chance that veteran Kyle Clifford slots in to the lineup to give the team some beef against the Bruins this evening. Personally though... I wouldn't count on it. The veteran forward hasn't played an NHL game in over a calendar year and he simply can't keep up at an NHL pace anymore. 

All eyes, of course, will be on Leafs superstar Auston Matthews today to see what his status is for Game 6. Stay tuned.