Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Brett Cyrgalis notes that New York’s power play unit appears to be turning a corner as of late (NY Post)
• Cyrgalis also discusses how a new year means new expectations for the Rangers as they kick off 2019 (NY Post)
• Colin Stephenson hears that Henrik Lundqvist is happy knowing that the Rangers are still on the periphery of the playoff race (Newsday)
• Sean Hartnett believes that 2019 will be Kevin Shattenkirk’s last, best chance to integrate himself into a core piece of New York’s future (WFAN)
• Frank Curto previews tonight’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins (Elite Sports NY)
• Dave Shapiro offers his thoughts on the organization’s handling of Lias Andersson thus far (Blue Seat Blogs)
• Tom Albano argues that Andersson’s demotion to AHL Hartford isn’t through much fault of his own (The Hockey Writers)
• Michael Delasandro examines how the Rangers can maximize their chances of a brighter future by picking higher in the Entry Draft (Blue Line Station)
• Steve Paulus sets expectations for the Blueshirts this month (Blue Line Station)/

Around the NHL:

• The Boston Bruins went on the road and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in yesterday’s 2019 Winter Classic, marking the fourth time Chicago has lost a Winter Classic in four tries (Stanley Cup of Chowder)
• Sean Leahy relays word of the full slate of outdoor games for the 2019-20 season: The Heritage Classic on 10/26 between Winnipeg and Calgary in Saskatoon, the Dallas Stars hosting the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl on 1/1, and the Colorado Avalanche hosting the stadium series at Falcon Stadium on 2/15. St Louis will also be hosting All-Star Weekend (NBC Sports)
• Josh Beneteau saw that the Arizona Coyotes CEO penned a letter to the franchise’s fanbase reaffirming the organizations commitment to making things work in Arizona (Sportsnet)/