2026 NHL Winter Classic Live Blog, Analysis, and Reaction of Rangers vs. Panthers

Florida was home to two NHL teams and had hosted Stanley Cup Final games in each of the last five seasons, but it had never been part of the outdoor spectacle.

Until Friday, that is.

The two-time defending Cup champion Panthers helped the "Sunshine State" take its maiden voyage in the 2026 Winter Classic, which pitted them against the visiting New York Rangers at loanDepot Park, home of baseball's Miami Marlins.

A sell-out crowd of 36,153 attended, and the B/R hockey team was in the house to deliver a live blog with analysis and reaction of the game between the Eastern Conference rivals.

Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought in the app comments.

Final Takeaways From the 2026 NHL Winter Classic

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Artemi Panarin celebrates after scoring during the third period

Maybe, just maybe, there's hope for these Rangers after all.

Though the Blueshirts from Broadway arrived in South Florida out of a playoff spot and tied for 20th overall, they played far more like contenders than pretenders in a 5-1 victory.

The prolific trio of Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafrenière combined for all five goals and 11 points overall for New York, which improved to 6-0 in outdoor games.

In fact, Zibanejad had a goal in each period, including an empty-netter at the end for the Rangers, who'd previously won outside in 2012, 2014 (twice), 2018, and 2024.

He became the first Swede to win the game's MVP award after recording the first hat trick and first five-point night (three goals, two assists) in Winter Classic History.

"It's been amazing," Zibanejad said. "It was a great effort."

Zibanejad, Panarin and Florida's Sam Reinhart, who had the hosts' only goal on a third-period power play, were named the game's three stars. Though New York goalie Igor Shesterkin could easily have gotten a nod after stopping all but one of the Panthers' 37 shots.

Sergei Bobrovsky, meanwhile, struggled in the Florida net and allowed four goals on 19 shots.

Takeaways From the Second Period

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Matt Rempe (73) of the Rangers checks Florida's Carter Verhaeghe

Zibanejad and Lafrenière were clearly reveling in the outdoor vibe.

The Rangers' forwards each accounted for their third point with New York's third goal of the game just 58 seconds into the second period, which came after a pond-hockey play from teammate Vincent Trocheck.

Trocheck was bringing the puck through the neutral zone when he fell to the ice and skidded toward the blue line, though he managed to steer the puck to Lafrenière at the top of the Florida zone. Lafrenière took a few strides along the right boards before sliding a pass across the slot to Zibanejad, who slapped it past Bobrovsky.

Zibanejad had a goal and an assist and Lafrenière added two assists in the first period.

Zibanejad's second goal came just seconds after Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left the box from a penalty he'd taken late in the first period and was the Rangers' third goal on just eight shots through 20:58 of play.

New York had a fourth goal disallowed at 10:01 of the second because it went in off Trocheck's high stick.

Florida continued to test Shesterkin throughout the second after finished 40 minutes with a 25-12 edge in shots, and the visitors killed off the lone penalty of the period—assessed to Vladislav Gavrikov for hooking—with no shots against.

Does Jones Injury Open the Door for Fox at the Olympics?

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Seth Jones arrives before the Winter Classic

Florida defenseman Seth Jones was celebrating both his 900th career NHL game and the announcement of his inclusion on Team USA for the upcoming Winter Olympics, but the revelry for the Texas-born 31-year-old didn't last long.

He arrived at the game in a Miami Vice-esque Ferrari but left in the first period after being hit up high with the puck. He spent some time in the medical tent alongside the ice and was eventually walked back to the locker room.

The Panthers announced soon after that he would not return.

Jones and Panthers teammate Matthew Tkachuk were honored as Olympians before the game, and Tkachuk draped an American flag over Jones' shoulders when Jones was introduced.

The introduction drew loud boos from the Rangers fans in the crowd who felt that their man, former Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, should have gotten the nod. Ironically, if the injury is serious enough, there's a chance Fox draws in as his replacement.

Jones came to Florida on March 1 after a trade from Chicago and was with the team for its repeat run to the Stanley Cup in June.

Takeaways From the First Period

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Artemi Panarin (10) and teammates celebrate his first-period goal

Fifteen minutes of desultory action begat five minutes of activity in the opening period, with the Rangers striking twice within 64 seconds to hit the first intermission up, 2-0.

The trio of Zibanejad, Lafrenière, and Panarin accounted for both goals, with Zibanejad netting the first on a power play at 15:09 while Florida's Jack Studnicka was serving a delay-of-game minor for sending the puck over the glass.

Panarin started the play with a quick turn at center ice while the Panthers were on a change. He brought the puck in the left side of the zone and found Lafrenière in the corner before the former No. 1 overall pick sent it toward the crease for Zibanejad's tap-in behind Bobrovsky.

New York struck again on its next shot on goal, with Panarin getting credit after a deflection with assists from Zibanejad and Lafrenière.

The Rangers had killed off two early penalties while allowing just two shots, and they finished the period on another power play after defenseman Ekblad was whistled at 18:52 for an illegal check to the head.

The Panthers did outshoot New York, 10-6, in the period, forcing Shesterkin to make several quick-reflex saves, particularly early.

Game Highlights

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Jesper Boqvist and Carson Soucy

GOAL: Rangers 5, Panthers 1

Zibanejad completes the hat trick with an empty-net shorthanded goal late in the third period.

GOAL: Rangers 4, Panthers 1

The Rangers extend the lead on the power play with a wicked wrister from Artemi Panarin from the slot in the third period.

GOAL: Rangers 3, Panthers 1

Florida gets back in it early in the third period with Sam Reinhart cashing in on the power play.

GOAL: Rangers 3, Panthers 0

Zibanejad gets his second goal of the night after yet another Lafreniere feed.

GOAL: Rangers 2, Panthers 0

Artemi Panarin's seeing-eye shot gets by Sergei Bobrovsky at 16:13 of the first period, with Lafreniere and Zibanejad getting assists.

GOAL: Rangers 1, Panthers 0

Mika Zibanejad opens the scoring on the power play after a great setup from Alexis Lafreniere at 15:09 of the first period.

Pre-Game Festivities

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Simulated snow falls from the rafters at the Winter Classic

It's not quite the Great White North, but South Florida did its best to make transplanted hockey fans feel at home during the pre-game festivities, which took place in a chilly (for Miami) 61 degrees as the outfield windows and the retractable roof slid open.

Fake snow with the consistency of soap bubbles fell from above as Luis Fonsi sang his 2017 hit "Despacito" on a stage alongside the ice surface situated across the baseball infield from first to third base.

And, thanks to a combination of relocated New Yorkers or visitors from up north or both, the upper deck had a boisterous Madison Square Garden vibe—complete with "Let's Go Rangers" and "Potvin Sucks" chants heard every game night in midtown Manhattan.