Capitals' loss hurts so good

The Washington Capitals entered Thursday's contest against their main rivals speaking of the litmus test the Pittsburgh Penguins would provide. It was also a chance for the Capitals to make a statement, with a sellout crowd and the entire hockey world watching.

Ultimately, though, it's hard to say that the contest, which featured playoff-like atmosphere and fervor, ended in a fashion that put one marquee team much further ahead of the other. The Penguins captured a 3-2 win at Verizon Center on a goal by Pascal Dupuis in the seventh round of the shootout, in what hardly can be considered a disappointment for Washington even though it reads as a loss in the record book.

"If they can play like that every night I'll be happy," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of the first meeting between the teams, who will face off again in eight days, outdoors at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic. "They had passion, they played arguably right now the best team in the league . . . to a standstill. Whether it's a moral victory or whatever, you'd love the two points, of course, but I thought we played very well and it was one very hard-earned point."

The contest almost avoided the final tie-break activity though, when Mike Green appeared to wrap the puck around an outstretched Marc-Andre Fleury for what would have been the game-winner in overtime and his second goal of the night. But Fleury, who finished a staggering performance with 32 saves, got his glove over the puck and video review ruled that there was never any conclusive evidence that the puck crossed the goal line.

To even reach overtime and the shootout required two comebacks from single-goal deficits by the Capitals. Washington outchanced and outshot Pittsburgh for the majority of regulation, particularly in the first two periods, but just 17 seconds into the third frame, Chris Kunitz scored to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
As 1:51 of a two-man advantage evaporated in the middle of the second stanza without a shot by the Capitals, it seemed as though Washington might never seize the chance to tie the contest. But in the waning seconds of the regular five-on-four power play that remained, Green cranked a shot from the slot past Fleury's glove to make it 1-1 and charge the Capitals. It was Green's first goal since Nov. 14 against Atlanta, a span of 15 games.

The fast pace and intensity would only build for the rest of regulation, through Kunitz's and Knuble's goals all the way to overtime and the shootout. And although the result was disappointing, the Capitals believe they passed their midweek test.