Mika Zibanejad scores hat trick as Rangers beat Panthers 5-1 in Winter Classic (Image via: Getty Images) Mika Zibanejad delivered a historic performance in this year’s Discover NHL Winter Classic, scoring a hat trick and adding two assists to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at loanDepot Park on Friday. The standout forward set a new record for most points in an NHL outdoor game, surpassing Jordan Kyrou’s four-point mark from the 2022 Winter Classic.Earlier on Friday, Zibanejad was named to Team Sweden for the Olympic Winter Games this year in Milano Cortina, adding another milestone to an already remarkable day. The Rangers’ dominant display extended their perfect outdoor record to 6-0-0, including a 3-0-0 mark in Winter Classic history, while Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere also made significant contributions with multiple goals and assists.
Mika Zibanejad’s hat trick, Artemi Panarin’s goals, and Igor Shesterkin’s saves leads Rangers to 5-1 Winter Classic win
ID@undefined Caption not available.Zibanejad opened the scoring at 15:09 of the first period with his eighth power-play goal of the season, redirecting a pass from Lafreniere at the top of the crease. Just over a minute later, the line of Zibanejad, Panarin, and Lafreniere struck again, with Panarin’s wrist shot finding the net through a screen to make it 2-0. Zibanejad added his second goal 58 seconds into the second period, completing a quick and efficient start that put the Rangers firmly in control.The Panthers responded briefly when Sam Reinhart converted a power-play opportunity early in the third period, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, Panarin’s second goal of the night at 12:25 restored the Rangers’ three-goal advantage. Zibanejad capped the scoring with a short-handed empty-net goal, joining David Pastrnak and Tyler Toffoli as the only players to record a hat trick in an NHL outdoor game.Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves for New York, while Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots in front of a sellout crowd of 36,153. The game also saw the Rangers play much of the night without Seth Jones, who left early with an upper-body injury. Despite unseasonably warm conditions of 63.1 degrees, the warmest Winter Classic in history, New York executed a disciplined performance, combining strong special teams and consistent offensive pressure.Zibanejad’s record-breaking performance reinforced the Rangers’ dominance in outdoor NHL contests. With multiple key contributions from Panarin, Lafreniere, and Shesterkin, New York extended its win in outdoor matchups, setting the stage for continued success as the season progresses.