Let\u2019s\u00a0start this week\u2019s column with a public service announcement for Senators fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The actual puck drop time\u00a0for Monday\u2019s game against the New York Rangers will be 7:51 p.m. ET.\u00a0\u00a0The official schedule will say\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a 7:30 p.m. ET start, but there are a couple of reasons why tonight\u2019s game is pushed back slightly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For starters,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0an Amazon Prime\u00a0game\u00a0\u2013 nationally televised across Canada \u2013 which means they work in extra time for pre-game features and panel discussions. That usually puts the start time at 7:45 p.m. ET for these games, but tonight the Rangers are honouring Mika Zibanejad\u00a0since it will be his 1,000th\u00a0career game in the NHL.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a result, the actual puck drop time this evening will be 7:51 p.m. ET.\u00a0This will buy you an extra 20 minutes to wrap up your dinner, finish some work, put your toddler to sleep \u2013 or whatever it is that needs your attention prior to puck drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0pressed for time, the Amazon Prime pre-game show is\u00a0absolutely worth\u00a0watching. They always have in-depth features and\u00a0unique elements that you only find on a Monday night broadcast.\u00a0When we were in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, they conducted this\u00a0terrific interview with Warren Foegele<\/a>\u00a0during the pre-game warmup.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0initial\u00a0plan for tonight is for Andi Petrillo to conduct an extended interview with Thomas Chabot, as part of her \u2018Coffee With Andi<\/a>\u2019 series.\u00a0And then Andi will conduct a bench interview with Shane Pinto when we hit the ice at Madison Square Garden for warm up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0a lot of Senators-related content for a national show, so I highly suggest tuning in if\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0got the time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n And it\u00a0once again brings\u00a0me to this question: Would\u00a0you like to see NHL teams promote the actual puck drop time on their tickets and schedule \u2013 or are you okay with the\u00a0current system that promotes the start of the television broadcast?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In baseball, for example, the Toronto Blue Jays always put the time of the first pitch on their schedule\u00a0and tickets.\u00a0So\u00a0a home game at Rogers Centre will say 7:07 p.m. on it \u2013 rather than 7:00 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the hockey world,\u00a0we never push the actual puck drop time. If we did, most of our\u00a0Senators\u2019\u00a0games would be\u00a0promoted\u00a0as\u00a07:08\u00a0p.m.\u00a0start times.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n