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.
