This year's Winter Classic could be one of the more impactful outdoor games in recent memory.
Every year, the NHL opens up the New Year with the Winter Classic, an annual outdoor game that showcases tradition, the leagues best players and teams, in addition to some cool retro hockey jerseys.
But this year's Winter Classic is not only set to extend the tradition, but it could also play a significant role in what is one of the closest NHL standings in recent memory.
In terms of the game itself, this year's Winter Classic is going to be played at the LoanDepot Park, home of MLB's Miami Marlins; as a result, it will be the first outdoor NHL game hosted in the State of Florida.
The second such game will be played just about one month later when the Tampa Bay Lightning play the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on February 1st.
With regard to the matchup for this year's Winter Classic, it will see the Florida Panthers play host to the New York Rangers. This will not only be the first time that the Panthers play in the Winter Classic, but it will also mark the team's first-ever outdoor game.
As for the New York Rangers, this year's Winter Classic will mark the team's third appearance in the game and their fifth appearance in an outdoor game (the team has taken part in two editions of the NHL's Stadium Series).
In terms of the standings, this Winter Classic could be pivotal in deciding the direction of the battle for some of the final playoff spots up for grabs in the Eastern Conference. As of the end of December 31st, the Florida Panthers trail the Buffalo Sabres (yes, the Buffalo Sabres) by one point for the final wild card spot, while the New York Rangers sit two points adrift of the Florida Panthers and three back of Buffalo for a playoff spot.
While Florida will enter this game as the slight favourite, their hopes of winning their debut Winter Classic on home ice will be hindered by Matthew Tkachuk's recovery. As of December 30th, Matthew Tkachuk had been taking part in the Panthers' practices, however he was sporting a non-contact jersey and his status for Friday's Winter Classic is currently up in the air according to head coach Paul Maurice.
Other injured Panthers players, including Jonah Gadjovich and captain Aleksander Barkov - who recently resumed skating with the team, are already set to miss the Winter Classic with their respective injury timelines running through the game.
It doesn't exactly get better from there. Despite winning six of their last nine games, the three losses have come over the course of their last five games. The Panthers' most recent game saw the team blow a late lead against the Montreal Canadiens, eventually losing 3-2 in overtime.
As for the New York Rangers, despite trailing the Florida Panthers by two points in the Eastern Conference standings, the wins have arguably been hard to come across in recent times. The Rangers are not only entering the Winter Classic having lost each of their last three games, but they will also enter with a run of form that has seen them drop seven of their last eleven games.
With this Winter Classic set to be significant in terms of positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff race, I expect both teams to bring their A game. However, whatever A game is brought by the Florida Panthers might be miles better than that of the New York Rangers.
According to ESPN, Florida finds itself in a significantly better position than that of the Rangers in terms of goal-scoring; the Panthers' 3.18 goals per game is significantly better than the Rangers' 2.54 goals per game, which is second-last in the NHL. Florida is also tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for seventh in points, while the Rangers sit in twenty-sixth in that regard. While the Rangers do have the slightly better power play (19% vs Florida's 18.5%), the Panthers penalty kill is eighth in the NHL, sitting at a rate of 82.8%.
That said, the goaltending battle might be relatively even. We all know about Panthers' goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and his ability to put his team on his back in big games. The same can be said for Rangers' goalie Igor Shesterkin, who had previously done so during the teams' playoff runs in 2022 and 2024.
However, Florida's goaltending is ranked 18th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.15), 22nd in save percentage (.892), and 27th in saves (918). Conversely, the Rangers are seventh in goals against per game (2.68), third in save percentage (.916), and fifth in saves (1053) (all stats according to ESPN).
If the Rangers are to win this game, it is going to be as a result of strong goaltending and good defence. There is a chance Florida tries to wear down the Rangers' defence, however said defence looks to be in a good position to take on the Panthers' forward group.
I think this game could very well end up going to overtime, however I'm going to back the Rangers to put together a signature performance and end their ongoing losing streak.