NHL Winter Classic 2026 results, score: Rangers trounce Panthers in Miami behind Mika Zibanejad's hat trick

3rd Period: Rangers 4, Panthers 1

Artemi Panarin has joined Mika Zibanejad with his second goal of the game. It's another power play goal for the Rangers as Vincent Trocheck found Panarin in the high slot, and he whipped a snapshot over the right shoulder of Sergei Bobrovsky. Mika Zibanejad got his second assist and fourth point in the game, which ties the record for most points in an outdoor game.

3rd Period: Rangers 3, Panthers 1

I don't know whether the Panthers will actually win this game, but they are determined to make the Rangers sweat. The first seven minutes of the third period have been all Florida, and the heat is on Igor Shesterkin now. The Panthers just got their fifth power play of the game, so they have a golden opportunity to cut New York's lead to one with a lot of game left to play. This one may not be over, folks. Don't change that channel just yet.

3rd Period: Rangers 3, Panthers 1

The Panthers finally break through on the power play. Aaron Ekblad makes a terrific play to keep the puck in the zone, and Florida gets a somewhat favorable bounce as the puck skips to Sam Bennett in the slot. With the chaos in front of Igor Shesterkin demanding everyone's attention, Bennett slipped a backhand pass to Reinhart for one of the easier goals he's ever scored.

You can count the number of dangerous scoring chances that the Panthers have generated in this game on one hand. They've been completely ineffective against one of the better defensive teams in the league, and times like these are when the absences of Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk really hurt. The heart and soul players the team has relied on throughout three straight Stanley Cup Final runs are in street clothes.

End of 2nd Period: Rangers 3, Panthers 0

The Rangers are doing their best to turn this one into a snoozer. They took a 3-0 lead early in the second period thanks to Mika Zibanejad's second goal of the game, and they've been in lockdown mode ever since. Florida was able to get its forecheck going in the latter portion of the second period, but that didn't lead to much. The Panthers do have a 25-12 edge in shots, but few of those have been dangerous.

According to Natural Stat Trick, New York has the 4-3 edge in high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five. The Panthers just haven't been able to get to the interior of the New York defense, and when shots do get through, the Rangers are clearing rebounds expediently.

With 20 minutes remaining, the Panthers will have to change the entire tenor of this game in order to make things interesting.

2nd Period: Rangers 3, Panthers 0

Vincent Trocheck decided to take a swing at baseball in loanDepot Park. After an inexplicable play by Sergei Bobrovsky in which he flipped the puck straight up into the air, Trocheck swung his stick and knocked it home. Fortunately for the Rangers, Trocheck's stick was high, and the goal was disallowed. Florida dodged what might have been the nail in its coffin by a matter of inches.

2nd Period: Rangers 3, Panthers 0

Just as I wondered whether that first period could serve as a jumpstart for Zibanejad, he gets his second tally of the game. Olympic selection Vincent Trocheck fell onto his hindquarters entering the offensive zone but still managed to get the puck to Alexis Lafreniere. That broken play threw off the Panthers defense, which drifted a little too deep. Lafreniere, for the second time in this game, feathered a perfect pass to Zibanejad on the weak side for an easy goal.

This season has been an uphill battle for Zibanejad at times -- as it has been for the rest of the Rangers -- but could that first period be the spark he needs? Coming into the game, Zibanejad had just one goal in his last 10 games. Now, Zibanejad has one goal and on assist in the first 20 minutes of this game.

Zibanejad, and the entire New York offense in general, had a frustrating December. They've gotten January started off on the right foot, and now they have to keep it rolling as the second period begins in Miami.

End of 1st: Rangers 2, Panthers 0

The Panthers came out with some energy in their first outdoor game, but they couldn't make the Rangers pay for taking two penalties. New York, on the other hand, seized control of the game when Mika Zibanejad tallied his 116th career power play goal. Just 62 seconds later, the blueshirts doubled their lead with a seeing-eye shot from Artemi Panarin.

New York had all the momentum going into the locker room, but Florida is fully capable of resetting and regrouping at the intermission. If the Panthers are going to come back, they have to start capitalizing on the Rangers' mistakes. It certainly doesn't help that Florida is without defenseman Seth Jones, who left in the opening frame after taking a puck up high.

1st Period: Rangers 2, Panthers 0

Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad have teamed up for the second time in 62 seconds. This time, Zibanejad retrieved a loose puck on the forecheck and got in to Panarin. The Russian forward circled high in the zone and let a floater fly through traffic. The shot seemed to have eyes, and it found its was through a screened Bobrovsky.

1st Period: Rangers 1, Panthers 0

After the Panthers fail to capitalize on either of their first two power plays, the Rangers draw first blood on their first man advantage. A nice zone entry by Artemi Panarin got the play started, and he dished the puck Alexis Lafreniere on the wall. From there, Lafreniere sent a perfect pass to the net front, where Mika Zibanejad drove the crease and tapped it past Sergei Bobrovsky.

That goal was Zibanejad's 116th power play goal, which tied a franchise record.

Seth Jones, who is skating in his 900th career game, has exited the Winter Classic in the first period. Right off a face-off in the Florida zone, Alexis Lafreniere fired a shot that deflected up into the neck and face area of Jones. The veteran defenseman left the game shortly thereafter, and he was escorted down the tunnel to the locker room.

If Jones is out for the remainder of the game, that would put more responsibility on Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola. Jeff Petry may also be asked to eat more top-four minutes. Fortunately for the Panthers, they're facing one of the weakest offensive teams in the NHL.