NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist is the king of the New York Rangers record book for goalies. He surged this season past Mike Richters mark for career wins (301) and dispatched Ed Giacomin on the shutout list (49). The only thing missing is a Stanley Cup ring. That is the one area in which Richter still has him beat. "The more pressure there is, the better he seems to perform. Thats what you want," first-year Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "I know he wants to win the Cup. ... Were going to need him to be at his best, but this is a team game." King Henrik got off to a good start Thursday night when he and the Rangers beat the Flyers 4-1 in the first-round playoff opener. Philadelphias first shot got past Lundqvist and put the Flyers ahead, but he stopped the other 14 that came his way. One win down, 15 to go to give the Rangers their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years -- which in Rangers history is not all that long since Richter and the 1994 squad led by Mark Messier ended a 54-year drought. "Everybody wants to be known as a winner," Vigneault said. "Hank is one of the best goaltenders in the league, and his stats are there to back it up." By all accounts, the 32-year-old Lundqvist is a driven hard worker, relentless in preparation and desire to be the best. "His No. 1 quality is how hard he competes and how much he wants to win," Vigneault said. "You can tell every time he steps on the ice -- practices, games -- the focus that he has, the amount of internal pressure he puts on himself to always be at a high level. "The standards that he puts on himself are as high as any player that I have ever coached. That is why he has been in the elite goaltenders for the past 10 years." When he arrived from Sweden at 23, Lundqvist embraced the pressure of playing in New York and thrived on it, reveling in the citys culture. He is a model of consistency and might already have enough credentials to ensure his jersey will be lifted to the Madison Square Garden rafters next to Richters even if he doesnt deliver that championship. "The passion that I have for this game and trying to get better and the emotions you feel when you play is something you live for," Lundqvist said. "Those moments when you win a big game I cant compare to anything else I have in my life when it comes to the adrenaline, the pressure, the excitement. "You have moments throughout games and throughout seasons of where youre like, Wow. This is why I play. You dont feel that every day. You dont feel that always, but you have moments where you realize its all worth it." Lundqvist has 309 career regular-season wins and 50 shutouts. He is also the first goalie to reach at least 30 wins in eight of his first nine NHL seasons. Lundqvist was chosen by the Rangers in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL draft -- pick No. 205 -- when he was just 18. He remained in his native Sweden for the next several years and joined the Rangers for the first time in the 2005-06 season, making his NHL debut against Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. "Your mindset is just to establish yourself, and fighting for your life almost every day and try to prove yourself because they dont really know what Ive done in Sweden for five years," Lundqvist said. "They dont really care what Ive done. Its about here and its about now. "It probably took me a couple of years before I felt comfortable and I knew that I had my role here." He stood out right away to John Davidson, a former Rangers goalie who backstopped the team to the 1979 Stanley Cup finals and then became a television analyst from 1986-2006. He broadcast games throughout Richters entire career and into the early stages of Lundqvists. "I didnt know a lot about him, but I remember when he came to the Rangers practice facility," said Davidson, now the president of hockey operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets. "I was standing on the glass the first day of camp, and I walked away three or four minutes after and I said, Theres the goalie. "He was polished. His work habits were exceptional. He and Mike, the common denominator there is the ability to handle pressure and the ability to work hard." 19:14ET 18-04-14 USA Soccer Shirts . TSN2 December 18 Knicks at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 December 18 Thunder at Warriors 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 December 21 Pacers at Timberwolves 7pm et/4pm pt. 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TSN January 9 Bulls at Wizards 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 9 Cavaliers at Warriors 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 13 Timberwolves at Pacers 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2 January 15 Thunder at Rockets 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 15 Cavaliers at Lakers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 16 Cavaliers at Clippers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 22 NBA All-Star Selection Show 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2 January 22 Spurs at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 22 Nets at Clippers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 25 Heat at Bulls 1pm et/10am pt TSN January 25 Thunder at Cavaliers 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt TSN January 26 Timberwolves at Thunder 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 29 Nuggets at Grizzlies 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 29 Bulls at Lakers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 NBA on TSN - February Date Game Time Network February 5 Clippers vs. Stitched USA Soccer Jerseys .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/.C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. USA Soccer Pro Shop . Joakim Nordstrom and Garret Ross also scored for Chicago and Corey Crawford made 30 saves. Tomas Tatar scored twice for Red Wings (2-3-0), Jonathan Ericsson added a goal and Gustav Nyquist had three assists. Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys . Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot.CINCINNATI - Two big goals are still out there for the Cincinnati Bengals: Shine in prime time, win in the playoffs.The AFC North leaders have a chance to put a dent in the first one on Monday night when they host Denver (11-3), which has already clinched the AFC West. Throughout their history, the Bengals (9-4-1) have been at their worst at nighttime.Cincinnati is 18-41 all-time in prime time, including 10-20 on Monday night. The Bengals have been beaten badly by New England and Cleveland in their two night games this season, reinforcing their reputation as a team that withers under the brightest lights.Its a label theyd love to eliminate.Its annoying and its our job to make it unannoying, safety George Iloka said on Thursday. If we lose this game, the talk will come back again.And if we want to silence the critics, so to say, weve got to put up or shut up. Thats how it goes. It might be annoying, but thats on us.For now, thats how theyre known.A loss at home to San Diego in the first round of the playoffs last season cemented their reputation as a team that cant handle the toughest pressure. Cincinnati has lost in the opening round each of the last three postseasons and hasnt won a playoff game since the 1990 season.And then there are those high-profile games at night.The Bengals went to New England determined to shake their reputation in a Sunday night game, but got pushed around throughout a 43-17 loss. Their next chance in prime time came in a Thursday night game at home against Cleveland, a 24-3 loss that only made matters worse.Defensive end Wallace Gilberry said he has no idea why playing in prime time bothers the teeam.ddddddddddddI guess were afraid of the dark. I have no idea, he said. But I can tell you this: Were going to come out Monday and were going to put our best foot forward.That would be a first. And in order for it to happen, Andy Dalton is going to have to play well.The fourth-year quarterback is 0-3 in the playoffs and 2-6 in prime time games. During the Thursday night loss to Cleveland, he completed only 10 passes, threw three interceptions and finished with a career-low passer rating of 2.0.A lot of it is on the quarterback.Its well documented whatever the record is, 2-6. Ive heard all kinds of stuff. Trust me, I get enough emails, letters, cards, advice, all kinds of stuff, offensive co-ordinator Hue Jackson said. I do understand whats at stake, and I think he does, too.In the big games, Dalton has made the biggest mistakes, losing the ball on fumbles and interceptions. That has to change.We cant make mistakes, we cant turn the ball over, weve got to be sound in our execution, Dalton said. And if we do that, well put ourselves in a lot better position than we did in the other ones.Notes: Receiver A.J. Green did his conference call with media in Denver on Thursday, then was excused from practice because he was sick. ... Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (Achilles tendon) and defensive end Carlos Dunlap (calf) were held out of practice as well. ... Tight end Jermaine Gresham missed a victory over Cleveland on Sunday with a sore toe, but practiced fully on Thursday. So did defensive end Margus Hunt (ankle) and cornerback Terence Newman (ankle).___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '