It might be an old joke, but it's one that's gaining a lot of traction around the country as the Toronto Maple Leafs spiral further down the NHL standings. Bars around the country are advertising free beer, but the catch is that the offer is only available during Leafs playoffs games. Ba-dum pshhh.

While this offer has been made by a few local bars and pubs (the Fox and Fiddle had a sign up a little while ago), unsurprisingly the dig tends to get its best response in rival cities like Montreal. Case in point, this West Island sports bar made a lot of people very happy with its version of the offer, which came shortly after the Habs dropped the Leafs 4-0 a couple of weeks ago.

It's a pretty good joke the first time you see it, but it's understandable that it might be frustrating to diehard Leafs fans. For what could be better than a playoff berth and free beer? Let's just say that hope doesn't spring eternal on this one.

Photo via Smokey on Twitter