THE RESULT:  Just another two points?  Not even close.

It was game that Bruce Boudreau said was "as close to the Stanley Cup as we've gotten" in atmosphere.  "When you see [65,000-plus] people in there -- whether they are booing or cheering -- it's an experince I'll never forget."

"It was more than just a game to everybody.  Don't let anybody fool you."

The official ledger will say the Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 in a regular season game played Jan. 1, 2011.  Eric Fehr scored two goals and Semyon Varlamov made 22 saves for the victors, and both mega-stars, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, were kept off the scoresheet.

But Boudreau was right, anyone connected with the game -- on the ice, in the press box, in the stands or watching at home alone or in bar with others -- knows that it was more important than just two points.

These teams, as the award-winning HBO series 24/7 has driven home in its first three episodes, do not like each other.  At all.  The fight between John Erskine and Mike Rupp in the first period was one of the more obvious displays of hatred. 

There were plenty more subtle displays: the constant slashing of skate tops, devestating checking that knocked a pane of glass out behind the Penguins net at one point, Ovechkin getting his face smooshed to the ice by Pascual Dupuis after Ovi "tripped" on the blue line.

There was Crosby getting laid out by an incidental hit by David Steckel at the end of the second period, which drew the ire of Crosby and Pens fans after the game.

And it all came to a boil with 0.6 seconds remaining, when what should have been a final face-off to end the game turning into a mice little scrum, with face washes all around, including Ovechkin and Chris Kunitz squaring off and needing to be separated.

Penguins coach "Disco" Dan Bylsma even put his top fighter, Derek Engellund, out for the final draw in case things got especially nasty, though Erskine tied him up immediately to prevent any real escallation.

The result of all the unpleasantry?  The first time in two years the Winter Classic failed to end with a post-game lineup handshake between the two teams, with the Capitals collected at their blue line waiting as the Penguins marched off the ice under the watchful eye of their captain.

HBO's cameras have gone home now.  But the intense rivalry will continue.  Mark Sunday, Feb, 6 on your calendar for the next edition of hockey's hottest rivalry.

You know both teams already have, whether they will admit to it or not.

THE GOOD:  Semyon Varlamov.  22 saves on 23 shots, many of the bouncing, in-tight variety.  Kept his focus and even showed some emotion at the end, bunny hopping to Ovechkin and Backstrom at the final horn.

THE BAD:  Alex Semin.  Extended his goal scoring drought to an even dozen games, getting just one shot on goal in 12:54 TOI.

THE UGLY:  The weather and ice conditions.  Just a shame that the playing conditions couldn't have been better for this type of stage.  Kudos to the league though for doing what they could under such poor conditions and for re-scheduling so early so everyone could make proper arrangements.

THE STATS: Mike Knuble (9) from Nicklas Backstrom (26) and Mike Green (11) at 6:54 of 2nd (PPG). Eric Fehr (6) from Marcus Johansson (4) and Jason Chimera (7) at 14:45 of 2nd.  Eric Fehr (7) from Jason Chimera (8) and John Erskine (6) at 11:59 of 3rd.

NEXT GAME:  Tuesday at 7:00 pm against Tampa Bay for first place in the Southeast Division at Verizon Center.

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Jay Beagle.  His hard work and intensity and two scoring chances in the first period set the tone for the lunch pail Capitals Saturday night. (Special Mentions for Jason Chimera (2 A) and John Erskine (assist, TKO of Mike Rupp).

2. Eric Fehr.  He needed a two-goal game as bad as anyone.  "Me and Fehrsie love the outdoors!"  Indeed, Prophet Jason Chimera.

1. Semyon Varlamov.  Not ready to hand him the crown just yet, but the NHL's No. 1 Star of the Week was sharp in poor conditions.  His style and athleticism was much more suited to the pinball game the Winter Classic turned into.

“You talk about the hype and the buildup and the rivalry, and the puck drops and it’s exactly what the buildup is. Sometimes these are overbuilt but this was a playoff type of game and the building [was] rocking.” -- Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma

Very rarely do big events in sports -- or in real life for that matter -- actually live up to all the hype. 

With all the associated hype and expectation surrounding the rivalry between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, from Thursday night's prelude to HBO's revealing 24/7 program to the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, it would have been easy for this game to disappoint -- to not live up to the expectations.

But it did.  And so much more.

The only disappointment was in the final score if you were wearing red.

The final will read 3-2 Penguins after a seven-round shootout, but the score doesn't even begin to tell the story.

This was an epic battle of wills:  special teams engaged all night long, big hits doled out from the very first shift in the game through overtime, ridiculous goaltending on both sides, players fighting through -- and some succumbing to -- pain and injury.

It had a blocked penalty shot, and even had a puck pulled off the goal line in overtime, hidden in a catching glove, that may have actually been over the line -- if you could see through leather.

And of course, 60 minutes wouldn't be enough to decide it.  No, not even 65 minutes would suffice.  This game had to go to the shootout, the least-satisfying ending for an instant regular season classic.

The superstars made their presence known.  Alex Ovechkin laid out countryman Evgeni Malkin on the first shift of the game, assisted on Mike Green's five-on-three power play goal, and scored as the first skater in the shootout.  Sidney Crosby perfectly deflected a Kris Letang slapshot past Michael Neuvirth for Pittsburgh's first goal and assisted on Chris Kunitz' go-ahead marker in the third period.

The Caps were awarded five of the game's first six power plays and finally scored on the final one.  The Penguins got the last four and were shut out on all five that they had on the night.

The tying goal came with the Capitals killing the final of three third period calls, with Brooks Laich making a tremendous play on the puck, then sliding it over to venerable veteran Mike Knuble who backhanded it through the five-hole.

Both goalies were their team's best player.  Neuvirth stopped 25 of 27 shots faced.  His counterpart, Marc-Andre Fleury, was even better, saving 32 of 34 shots.  Fleury's covering of Green's attempt mid-way through overtime was probably the play of the game.

The Verizon Center faithful were in full voice, and from the moment of player introductions, the place certainly had a playoff vibe.  And the players rose to the occasion.  It was a tense, tight-checking dramatic game that ultimately counted no more in the standings than any other -- including next Saturday's Winter Classic -- but it certainly delivered all that was asked of it, and more.

All the build-up, anticipation and hype for the New Year's Day game will be tough to match.  But the Caps and Pens proved Thursday night they are up to the task.  Hockey fans will be the beneficiaries.

And HBO got themselves a hell of a program for next Wednesday's episode of 24/7.

POST GAME QUOTES

Sidney Crosby, on the effect of the Winter Classic on the rivalry:  “I think it brings out the best in everyone so that’s a good thing and that’s how it should be… It seems like both teams bring out the best in one another. They’re very competitive and it’s developed into a rivalry and every year it seems like it’s getting bigger and bigger with history in the playoffs and games like this every year . It’s hard for it to not gain intensity.”

Mike Green, on the effort from the Capitals:  “I thought we played well. We haven’t been playing 60-minutes for a while here, and I thought we did that. We competed, we never gave up, and when we needed a goal, we found a way to get it and come back. That just goes to show the character.”

Mike Green, on losing in a shootout:  "It's tough to lose that way.  Especially after the game we had and how we battled back.  It's tough.  We'll get over it."

Green, whether he thought he beat Fleury in overtime:  "100 percent.  I won't be able to sleep."

Green, on the atmosphere:  "It felt like a playoff game, again.  I think that's why our spirit was up, our energy was up.  The fans bring a lot of energy and it [helps] us to play better.  I wish it was like that every night."

Alex Ovechkin, praising the level of play from both sides:  “I think we played great. I think all four lines did great job. We don’t make some mistakes, finish checks, getting [pucks] deep, we have lots of shots. I know Fleury played unbelievable today. They are great players, [when] they have a chance they use it. We have to use our chances.”

Mike Knuble, on the atmosphere:  "Players just kinda played it like a normal, 82-game schedule.  I think the crowd wanted to see a Game Seven.  But the players, we played a pretty even game."

Knuble, whether the result was a disappointment:  "It was a good hockey game, went to a shootout.  I guess that what it was tonight, a close game."

Bruce Boudreau, on the result itself:  "I think it was two really good teams going at it and we lost the skills competition."

Boudreau, on Green:  "I thought it was his best game in a long time.  He played good defensively and yet he jumped into the play and made things happen offensively.  You could see his reaction when he scored, like the weight of the world came off his shoulders and he looked like a different guy after that."

GAME NOTES

D Tom Poti left the game after just five shifts, 3:34 of ice time.  He took a stick to the head or face, was briefly attended to on the bench, and retreated to the trainers room.  Boudreau listed him as day-to-day, but also confessed to not knowing how bad Poti was injured.

The Caps were credited with more hits on the scoresheet, but it seemed like the Penguins were really taking the body, especially early and especially against Mike Green.  Green was targeted on several occasions, and took a big hit early along the boards that left him a bit stunned.  Green was credited with eight hits on the night, leading the Capitals.

Ovechkin has five shots on goal with another five blocked and three missed.  He was credited with five total hits.

Mathieu Perreault took two minor penalties in the third period, one for holding Kris Letang as he was falling to the ice, another for hooking at center ice.

Defenseman Mike Green scored his sixth goal of the season on the power play in the second period. Green, who ended a 14-game goalless drought, has scored four of his six goals this season on the man advantage. Green registered a season-high 34:03 of ice time, eight hits, six shots and five blocked shots.

AND WE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS

Photo D.Nichols/Caps News Network

Tonight's regular season matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins is a big deal.  The players and coaches know how important it is to them in the standings, and as a preview for the Winter Classic and hopefully the Stanley Cup playoffs, but only have a vague idea what the rivalry means to their fans.

A professional sports team means very little without a passionate and knowledgeable fan base.  The owners and executives are businessmen, the coaches (especially in hockey) are little more than temporary employees; the players mercenaries, most more concerned about keeping their roster spot than how they fit into a 40-year history.

They all say the proper things about the rivalry and its importance to the fans, but you can feel the disconnect.  They think -- and from their perspective, probably rightly so -- it's all about them, this version of the Washington Capitals.

None are from the area they represent.  They have very little idea of the history behind the franchise -- what makes this "organization" a team.

Sure, they play for themselves and each other in that sense of team, but it's on a very micro level.  That's their team: the players they see every day in the locker room, the brother-in-arms that they have to answer to -- or for -- when effort lacks, and the guys they celebrate their successes with.

But for the fans, the team is an extension of civic pride.  They were part of that team long before the current regime, and will still be when this one finally exhausts it's useful purpose.

Caps fans have a reputation for being bandwagoneers and Johnny-come-latelys, and some of that is earned. This franchise was in a lot of trouble for a long time, as hard to root for as some of the other franchises this city has to offer right now.  And the Capitals didn't have the benefit of playing a sport that came second nature to the geographic region.

With all the other entertainment options available, the Capitals -- and hockey in general -- had to go a long way to get to the top of the pecking order in this city.

Some of us have been at this since 1974, but in the grand scheme of things, whether you remember Greg Joly or Gaetan Duschene or not, the important thing is that you're rockin' the red for The Great 8 and John Carlson now.  All Caps fans wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Penguins fans are no less passionate about their team, but the popular opinion out of Steel City is that the Caps just aren't much of a rival, and that Caps fans dwell too much on the Penguins.  Maybe that's the case.  Rivals rip your heart out, and most of it has been one-sided in this relationship.

They have what we want:  The Stanley Cup. League-wide respect.  To be taken seriously as a hockey town.

And we also know that we have to go through them to get it.

But it seems to me Pens fans spend a lot of time and effort talking about how little time and effort they spend on the Caps.

So Caps fans, don't let ANYBODY tell you how to feel or how to cheer for your team.  This is your team, whether you've been there from the beginning or just got your first Ovi t-shirt jersey last week.

It's just two points.  But it's also so much more.

"It's exciting to be part of a team that has a genuine hatred of somebody." Andrew Gordon, on the Caps-Pens rivalry.

Mid-way through the third period in last night's undressing of New Jersey, many of the Verizon Center faithful joined in a chorus not unfamiliar in these parts. 

Reminiscent of old RFK Stadium during the Washington NFL team's hey-day, when fans were still proud of that team and taunted their upcoming rival with chants of "WE WANT DALLAS!", some Washington Capitals fans picked up the time-honored tradition and started chanting "WE WANT PITTSBURGH!"

You'll have to forgive that section of the fan base right now.  After suffering along with the team on an eight-game losing streak, the 5-1 win over the previously vaunted, now struggling Devils -- in combination with a 3-2 road win over Ottawa Sunday night -- must have left them practically giddy.

It's certainly premature to be taunting one of the league's best teams considering the events of the past three weeks.  But with all the attention Thursday's game is getting as a prelude to the Winter Classic game on New Year's Day and the modest two-game win streak, you have to give it to folks for wanting to stir the pot with the Penguins coming to town.

Since last night's game was carried by Versus Network, news of course travelled quickly to Western PA.  And responses ranged from measured and appropriate to foul-mouthed from that section of the interwebs.

But how, exactly, do the players and coaches see this rivalry?

Many of the players on the Capitals were barely skating the first time this franchise lost to the Penguins in the playoffs (waaay back in 1991), and most were blissfully unaware as repeated attempts to beat the Pens in the second season fell unsuccessful.

They all know how important it is to them personally, their captains, their organizations, and the league.  But do they really have a sense of how important even a seemingly innocent regular season game is in the long-term rivalry for fans of the Capitals, repeatedly disappointed at the hands of Mario Lemieux, Rick Tocchet, Ron Francis, Sidney Crosby, et al?

Caps fans, whether they like to admit it or not, have an inferiority complex when it comes to the Penguins.  And rightfully so.  They have what all Caps fans want.  The Stanley Cup.  League-wide respect.  To be taken seriously as a hockey town.

Those demons won't be exorcised until the Caps bring home a Cup.  And they will have to go through Pittsburgh to do it.

Here's a sampling of the locker room today on the rivalry with the Penguins and what it means to the coaches and players and their interpretation of what it means to the fans.

John Carlson:  "I think that anytime there's a rivalry it's added intensity for the fans.  We come to work everyday and do the same things everyday and the games change and we have to show up and battle whatever team it is -- rivalry or not.  But there's a lot more intensity.  You can feel it in the building sometimes when the fans are really really into it.  They're always great, but you'll see on Thursday everyone's really enjoying it, not just us."

"Our fans expect the best from us and they know the rivalry and want us to beat [the Penguins] just as much as we want to beat them, so they're right behind us."

Andrew Gordon:  "With the teams in proximity like this, I know that there's been the rivalry...the two areas don't really like each other regardless what sport you're playing.  When Sidney was drafted there and Ovi here, it just ratcheted it up that much more. It's exciting to be part of a team that has a genuine hatred of somebody --in Hershey we have that same thing with Wilkes-Barre -- I remember the first day I walked into that dressing room it was just a known fact that we do not like losing to that team and it's sort of bred into you. Now everyone comes into this organization feels the same way [about the Penguins] so when you see Pittsburgh on the schedule you get amped up.  You know you're going to play against a team that's at their best cause they want to beat you just as badly as you want to beat them."

Mike Knuble:  "[Pittsburgh's] still the top team in the conference and to do well you have to play well against them.  They've been on an incredible run, and we've been on an incredible run in the other direction.  It should be a great hockey game.  They're a great team and should be a good measuring stick for us to see if what we're doing is really in the right direction."

Matt Hendricks:  "Being at home, on our rink, with our fans, I think it's gonna be a great night for hockey.  Been looking forward to this rivalry all season.  We've got a chance to have a three-game winning streak going into the break, which the biggest importance to us, I think, are the two points.  With all the extra-curriculars and the Winter Classic coming up against them real soon, maybe it s a little preview to what we're gonna have."

Alex Ovechkin: "Yeah, crowd wants to play against those guys, we wanna play them too, so it's gonna be a big matchup and a pretty exciting game too. Tomorrow's very important -- mentally -- game for us.  We won two games in a row, end the losing streak, but tomorrow we're gonna try to take three wins in a row and have good days off."

Coach Bruce Boudreau:  "We're looking forward to the game because the build-up has been so big.  I don't know anything about 'the script' [HBO's 24/7].  [Pittsburgh] hasn't stopped winning, they had a little blip on the radar.  We're in, like, a mini-turnaround.  We're not where we want to be, but it's better than going in 0-10.  It's a great barometer to see where we're at."

"They're a great team and we have a good rivalry against them.  It's one of the great things HBO is going to be able to catch is all the talk and what we think goes on, will go on."

So you can see, there's some appreciation of the historic rivalry, but the active coaches and players are concentrating more on the actual game and what it means to them.  They know and understand they are playing for Washington hockey fans' civic pride, but the two points in the standing right now are more important.