Welcome back to NHL Predictions here on Last Word On Hockey! Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for NHL games all season long. This time around, we’re looking at a special game: the Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers.
NHL Predictions
New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers
2025-26 Season Series: First game this season (24-25 Season: Rangers 1-2 Panthers)
How To Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, SN, TVAS
Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Location: Loan Depot Park in Miami, Florida
Panthers’ storylines
The Florida Panthers have had an interesting season so far. Marred by injuries to key players, the biggest being Aleksander Barkov tearing his ACL in preseason, many expected them to struggle. Even so, the team is above the 20 win threshold and with Matthew Tkachuk returning soon, the Panthers will look to repeat the performance they had against the Rangers in the 2023-24 playoffs.
Brad Marchand has revived his career in Florida, scoring 45 points in 38 games this season as well as leading the team in all offensive categories. Sam Reinhart isn’t far behind him with 43 points. Seth Jones has been the best scorer on defense, scoring 24 points this season. Even though the team has great offensive numbers, their defense remains their key focus.
Seriously, what can’t Brad Marchand do? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Iho2y2HPTk
— NHL (@NHL) December 30, 2025
That starts with goaltender Sergi Bobrovsky, who has been up and down so far this season, but is now beginning to find his form. Head coach Paul Maurice has continued to prove he’s the NHL’s best coach, as the Panthers have stayed competitive despite losing key players. Maurice’s system wears down the opponents defenseman, forcing turnovers through poor passing and bad decisions. The Florida forecheck is strong as well, keeping the puck in the offense zone to create chances. They aren’t the most skilled team, but they are the hardest working one.
Rangers’ storylines
New York has been up and down all season, and all signs point towards a rebuild. It is very possible that forward Artemi Panarin gets traded, as the rumor mill has been churning all season. The Rangers are an aging team, and they no longer have the juice to compete with the leagues best. New York has also been hit hard from injuries recently, with Adam Fox being out the whole of December, though he has been back for a few games. Captain JT Miller is out with an upper-body injury, and depth players Connor Sheary and Noah Laba are also injured.
On the bright side, the free agent acquisition of Valdisav Gavrikov has been well worth letting Chris Kreider go, as he has been excellent so far in a pairing with Adam Fox. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has continued to prove why he is worth every cent of that massive contract, and Gabe Perrault has shown some flashes of being a potential top-six forward in the future. Even so, this game will be difficult to win, and the weather conditions could make things worse.
Could weather be a factor?
The climate of Florida has always been very warm, so holding an outdoor game there is a great challenge. The hot and humid climate could make the ice surface wetter than expected, creating a difficult environment to play in. That makes predicting this game difficult, as the winner could very well be the team that deals with the poor ice conditions better. The expected temperature around game time today is hovering around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18 degrees Celsius, which is well above freezing.
Prediction and Best Bets to Watch
Panthers 4-2 Rangers
We predict the Panthers to win the Winter Classic. This will basically a home game for them, and the environment in the stadium will be at a fever pitch. The Rangers have had a rough go of it lately, and the Panthers are simply the better team. Ice conditions could make it hard for both teams, but we think that the Panthers have a better chance of adapting to the new conditions and finding an important win over an Eastern Conference rival.
For bets bets on the Panthers, look for Marchand to get on the board in this one. Marchand is no stranger to playing the Rangers thanks to his time with the Bruins, and he has scored 44 points in 51 games. That makes him a good bet in this one. Sam Bennett hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations of his contract this season, but he is a hard, gritty player that should do well against a softer Rangers lineup.
For the Rangers, look for Adam Fox to get on the board. Fox will be hungry to prove that he shouldn’t have been snubbed from the USA Olympic team, and he is the motor that drives the Rangers on the power play. Expect him to get a point or two in today’s game.
Main photo by: Rich Storry-Imagn Images
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