The New York Rangers spoiled the party in Miami, beating the Florida Panthers in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, 5-1. Big performances from the trio of Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin fueled the victory as the Rangers picked up an enormous win in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Zibanejad came into the game on somewhat of a cold streak with just one goal in his last 10 games. He broke out of that funk with a historic five-point night, consisting of three goals and two assists. Not only did he record the first hat trick in Winter Classic history, but he also set the record for most points by an individual player in an outdoor game.
Zibanejad began his busy night by opening the scoring at loanDepot Park with a power play goal off a slick feed from Lafreniere. That wasn't the only time those two would connect in the Winter Classic as Lafreniere found Zibanejad again on a 2-on-1 that resulted in one of the easier goals of the Swede's career.
Even when he wasn't the one scoring goals, Zibanejad was finding the scoresheet thanks to his playmaking. He registered an assist on each of Panarin's goals, giving him four points, which tied the record for the most in an outdoor game. On the assist that tied the record, Zibanejad showed nice vision when he found Panarin creeping down into the high slot.
When the Panthers pulled Sergei Bobrovsky late in the third period, Zibanejad saw his chance to notch the hat trick, and he didn't miss. He fired the puck into the gaping cage at the other end of the rink as a few fans tried -- and failed -- to throw hats onto the ice from the stands.
This win for the Rangers keeps their perfect record in outdoor games intact. New York is now 6-0-0 in such games and 3-0-0 in Winter Classic matchups.
Sam Reinhart had the lone goal for the home team, but that was all Panthers fans had to cheer for. Outside of a brief burst or two in the third period, Florida generated very few quality chances, despite a large quantity of shots. To make matters worse for the Panthers, defenseman Seth Jones exited the game in the first period after taking a puck up high and did not return.
Rangers, Zibanejad get the outburst they needed
New York entered the game ranked 31st in the NHL in goals per game at 2.51. December was an especially bad month for the Rangers offensively as they averaged just 2.34 goals per game. Zibanejad himself had one goal in his last 10 games.
Needless to say, it was nice for the Rangers to see some shots hit the back of the net. Of course, Zibanejad breaking out of his funk was huge, but he wasn't alone. With three assists in this one, Lafreniere matched his point total from the previous 11 games combined. Artemi Panarin is probably the only Ranger that hasn't had a miserable season offensively, but he still recorded his first three-point game since Nov. 28.
Despite all their offensive woes, the Rangers are now just one point out of a playoff spot. If New York can get a few more goals moving forward, it could easily climb back into the postseason. It's just a matter of determining whether this was a blip on the radar or the start of something better.
Injury bug keeps biting Panthers
There's a reason no team has won three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders' dynasty from 1980-83. Teams need some element of luck, and the Panthers haven't had much of that, dating back to the offseason when Matthew Tkachuk underwent surgery to repair his adductor.
That knocked Tkachuk out for the first half of the season, and things only got worse from there. In training camp, Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL. Throughout the season, the Panthers have dealt with a bevy of more minor injuries, including Eetu Luostarinen barbecuing his hand.
On Friday, Florida's luck didn't get any better. A Lafreniere shot deflected up into the neck and shoulder area of Seth Jones, who left the game in the first period and did not return. There's still no word on the severity of his injury, but the Panthers would miss him dearly if he is sidelined long-term. Jones has been an exemplary shutdown defender since arriving in Sunrise.
Florida doesn't have much wiggle room in the standings, so it probably can't absorb more significant injuries. The Panthers currently sit outside the playoffs, and the East is extremely deep. At least Tkachuk is close to making his return.
New York is lights out in outdoor games
If the Rangers played only outdoor games, they may be the best team in league history. This win pushed their all-time record to 6-0-0 in outdoor games and 3-0-0 in the Winter Classic. Not only that, but these outdoor games seem to bring out the very best in this franchise.
In fact, we all probably should have seen this coming between the Rangers' undefeated record in outdoor games and their 15-8-2 record on the road in 2025-26. Given that the Rangers have the second-worst home record in the NHL at 5-10-3, maybe Mike Sullivan should approach James Dolan about installing a retractable roof on Madison Square Garden.
Performances like this only make the Rangers' issues on home ice even more vexing. Much like their offensive struggles, it's hard to believe New York will be that bad on home ice all season. The Rangers just need to bottle up this effort and take it home for a couple big games against the Utah Mammoth and Buffalo Sabres next week.
