Miami Winter Classic: Rangers Score Early, Beat the Panthers

MIAMI — The optics of the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park on Friday night were spectacular even if the hockey played by the Panthers and Rangers was not.

The Rangers scored twice in the opening period and that was plenty against the Panthers in a 5-1 win that looked much like one would expect an outdoor game in Miami to look like.

New York, which is now an NHL-best 6-0 in outdoor games, took a 3-0 lead early in the second off Mika Zibanejad’s second of the night.

Despite creating most of the chances and holding possession for much of the night, the Panthers did not get one past Igor Shesterkin until Sam Reinhart scored on a power-play chance 2:20 into the third.

Artemi Panarin’s second of the night on a power play with 7:35 left sent many of the sellout crowd of 36,153 heading to try and beat the traffic home.

Zibanejad’s empty net hat trick with 1:28 sent most of those who remained toward the exits.

The Panthers have lost two straight and four of six since their four-game winning streak.

Aside from the hockey itself, Friday night was a huge success for the Miami Winter Classic even if the Marlins’ ballpark struggled with the large crowd which led to delays getting into the stadium, congested concourses, and reports of concession stands running out of food.

Again, from afar, the views were stunning.

After warmups, there was a countdown for the east windows to open up — before the roof began to slowly creep back and reveal a clear sky overhead.

During the long open, the NHL’s promise that ‘snow’ would fall from the sky came to pass with foam swirling through the air giving the look of a winter night in Vermont.

Only, this was not Vermont.

WINTER CLASSIC NOTES: RANGERS AT PANTHERS

• Seth Jones, who was honored pregame for being named to Team USA, left the game in the first period with what the team is calling an upper-body injury. Jones appeared to be hit in the face by a deflected shot.
• The temperature at the ballpark at the start of the game was 63 degrees — making it the second-warmest start to an NHL outdoor game. It was 65 at the Denver Stadium Series game held at Coors Field in 2016.
• Roberto Luongo dropped the ceremonial first puck with former teammates (2014-19) Aaron Ekblad and New York’s Vincent Trocheck in the faceoff circle.
• Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk changed back into their Miami Vice suits and brought out the Stanley Cup during the first intermission concert.
• This was the first Panthers game inside Miami-Dade County since the team left for Sunrise at the conclusion of the 1997-98 season. Florida played its first five seasons at Miami Arena, a building which stood about two miles east of the ballpark in Overtown.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Rangers 1, Panthers 0 (15:09 1st PP): Mika Zibanejad drives the lane and scores off a pass from Alexis Lafreniere.
• Rangers 2, Panthers 0 (16:13 1st): Artemi Panarin circles back to the high slot, sends a point shot into traffic and beats old friend Sergei Bobrovsky glove side.
• Rangers 3, Panthers 0 (0:58 2nd): Just after a penalty ended, Zibanejad scores off a 2-on-1 from Lafreniere after Vincent Trocheck slipped up by still kept possession of the puck and kept things moving forward.
• Rangers 3, Panthers 1 (2:20 3rd PP): Aaron Ekblad keeps in a clearing shot in on the line, gets it into Sam Bennett with the puck finding Sam Reinhart for his 23rd of the season.
• Rangers 4, Panthers 1 (12:25 3rd PP): Panarin whips one through from the high slot and that about does it.
• Rangers 5, Panthers 1 (18:32 3rd EN): Zibanejad X3.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE WINTER CLASSIC

• 1. Mika Zibanejad, Rangers
• 2. Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
• 3. Artemi Panarin, Rangers

ON DECK: GAME No. 41

COLORADO AVALANCHE at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Sunday, 5 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Avalanche Won 2-0
• This Season — At Colorado: Avalanche 6, Panthers 2 (Dec. 12). At Florida: Sunday
• All-time Regular Season Series: Colorado leads 30-14-5, 3 ties
• Postseason Series: Colorado d. Florida 4-0, 1996 Stanley Cup Final
• Up Next for the Panthers: Tuesday at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.