Panthers set to host Rangers for 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot park looking to resume recent winning ways

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It’s going to be a very special night in Miami on Friday.

The NHL’s back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are hosting the New York Rangers in the league’s annual outdoor extravaganza, the Winter Classic.

This year the game is being held at loadDepot park, the home of MLB’s Miami Marlins.

Florida arrives at the Winter Classic looking to regain some consistency, having alternated wins and losses over their past six outings.

Prior to that stretch, the Panthers had won seven of eight, a run that propelled the Cats from the bottom of the Eastern Conference into the thick of the playoff race.

Entering play Friday, the Panthers are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Through 39 games, Florida holds a 21-15-3 record, good for 45 points. That lands them one point behind the Buffalo Sabres for the final Wild Card spot (yes, you read that correctly…Buffalo has won 10 straight games).

Looking at the Atlantic Division standings, the Panthers are currently five points behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens and seven points back of the Detroit Red Wings, who have been leading the division since mid-December.

The Rangers are facing a similar situation.

New York is just two points behind the Panthers in the standings, but there are five teams separating the two in the Wild Card race.

Perhaps the Rangers will lean on past history to provide some positive vibes on Friday.

The Blueshirts are a perfect 5-0 in outdoor games, including both of the previous Winter Classics they’ve played in (2012 and 2018). They’re the only team in NHL history with five wins in outdoor games.

It’s going to be an incredible evening in Miami.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for the 2026 Winter Classic:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicks

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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