The best result would have been Stalin being overthrown in a coup, probably with Khrushchev at the helm, and then the Russians winning. I still think had the Nazis put all their efforts into taking Moscow, Stalin would not have survived it.
Khrushchev was no angel, but a lot more pragmatic than Stalin, and not nearly as ruthless.
I get more good laughs on FR than just about any place else.
The Russians lost 1.2 million souls, and the Germans lost 780,000... all in that one battle alone. I think you can count this battle as a significant loss for both sides.
(Canada only had 800,000 total troops in the entire war, Australia 700,000.)