Capitals vs Rangers

	vs
CAPITALS		RANGERS
4-7		2-9

The Aesthetics
Man, the red, white and blue abound. Though, personally, I'm one of the few that believe a darker blue would better serve the Rangers. But then I also like the Lady Liberty logo better than the shield. For one thing, they don't even use a logo anywhere on their regular jerseys. Still, the Capitals logo is a wordmark and that doesn't earn it points in my book. I'm going with the shield.
Rangers

The Nickname
The Capital is the center of the goverment and Rangers are mere governmental peripheries.
Capitals

The Analysis
The Rangers logo is a classic. The Capitals thought their '70s logo was a classic which is why they used it for the inspiration for the new logo. It's inexcusable, really. Even the eagle on the shoulder is better than the wordmark as far as crests go. The Rangers deserve this point to right along with the win.
Rangers

WINNER

2-1

 

Bruins vs Penguins

	vs
BRUINS		PENGUINS
6-3		3-7

The Aesthetics
Looking at these two logos side-by-side, it's fairly obvious why the Penguins shouldn't have switched to the Vegas gold. Which one of these stands out more? But like all you Pens fans know by now, the hockey gear the penguin is wearing bothers me. I can't explain it.
Bruins

The Nickname
Giant carnivore versus tiny, flightless bird. Is there any question the Bruin eats the Penguin?
Bruins

The Analysis
Unfortunately for the Bruins, this won't be a sweep. The reason is that I see a penguin in the Penguins logo but a bruin is nowhere in sight. (I take that back. Check the shoulder of the jersey.) If only they'd make that bear in the secondary mark the primary logo. But the truth is, the B's logo is one of the most recognizable in sports so to change it would probably be silly. Still, I stand by my rules for this tournament, despite the bullshit they produce.
Penguins

WINNER

2-1

 

Sabres vs Bruins

	vs
SABRES		BRUINS
5-4		6-2

The Aesthetics
It's a bit of a toss-up here. I think both logos are pretty aesthetically strong. But these are both logos that have been changed in the last couple years. As far as improvements, I think both are better than what they had, but that the Bruins logo is more of an improvement than the Sabres. The return to traditional colors was nice but for a way to make it better, just ask John Slabyk.
Bruins

The Nickname
This would have been a good showdown if it was bruin and buffalo. But instead, it's Bruin versus Sabre, and with the latter in the hands of an experience swordsman, I have my doubts for the big bear.
Sabres

The Analysis
Neither logo portrays its name it's meant to very well — although the case has been made that there's a blue sabre along the back of the buffalo with the horn also serving as the handle. I'd still like to see the secondary logo on the crest sans the word marks, but that may have to wait until the day third jerseys make their glorious return.
Sabres

WINNER

2-1

 

Capitals vs Thrashers

	vs
CAPITALS		THRASHERS
4-6		5-6

The Aesthetics
The hockey sticks in these logos abound. But that's fine, what I'm staring at is the wordmark that the Capitals are calling a logo. The Ducks made this mistake and I hope they're going to learn from it. Seems we'll have no such luck with the Caps. Plus I think the Thrashers logo has a sharp and rather unique color scheme.
Thrashers

The Nickname
Hmm. Maybe the Thrashers open fire on the Capital by freeing their "droppings" on the buildings causing mountains of paperwork as the government tries to get it all cleaned up. Stretch, yes.
Thrashers

The Analysis
I'm sorry, I was a fan of the Capitol dome logo. I don't know why it had to go just because the colors got changed. But who knows why the Capitals do anything? But I can't in good conscience allow them to have this point. That's a neat bird on that Thrashers logo.
Thrashers

WINNER

3-0

 

Bruins vs Capitals

	vs
BRUINS		CAPITALS
5-2		4-5

The Aesthetics
If you were keeping track, this is the first time in the tournament where two brand new logos have met. And the letters abound. The new Capitals logo, in my opinion, is definitely a downgrade. I like the colors all right, but then I was one of the few who though the blue and bronze worked really well. Anyway, the Bruins redesign was definitely an upgrade. While the difference may not be noticeable to most people just looking at it quick, it's light years ahead of what they team had been wearing.
Bruins

The Nickname
The headline would read: "Bruins terrorize Capital!"
Bruins

The Analysis
Both logos are made up of letters so we'll have to consider that. I really do like the bear used on the Bruins shoulder logo. That should be the primary. Put the spoked "B" on the shoulder. Speaking of which, does anyone happen to know the significance of the spokes? Or is that just a design element that happen accidentally and has lasted half a century? The hockey stick and puck in the Capitals logo, while more cleverly designed than in the '70s logo, are superfluous on any NHL logo if you ask me. But I think the three stars put it over the Bruins logo for this point. It's at least making a good effort at referencing the region.
Capitals

WINNER

2-1

 

Senators vs Islanders

	vs
SENATORS		ISLANDERS
4-5		1-11

The Aesthetics
I've been beating it like a drum for weeks, but I don't think wordmarks belong in logos. At least not crests. The logo should serve as a symbol for the team and be so recognizable as to not require the accompaniment of a written out name. Also the hockey stick and puck don't help very much.
Senators

The Nickname
Senators and Islanders? Hand-to-hand combat, my money's on the Islanders.
Islanders

The Analysis
We'll keep this short. I like the outline of Long Island in the background of the Islanders logo and yearn for some reference to Ottawa in the Senators logo. We can't have everything. Incidentally, if there's something I'm missing in the Sens logo, feel free to comment about it.
Islanders

WINNER

2-1

 

Islanders vs Penguins

	vs
ISLANDERS		PENGUINS
1-10		2-7

The Aesthetics
Look both of these logos have annoying hockey sticks in them! No, but it's cool. I'm giving the Penguins this point for not writing out the entire team name within the logo. It also wouldn't hurt if the Islanders logo lost that puck. People mocked the fisherman guy, but that was actually a clever logo from back in the '90s.
Penguins

The Nickname
Islanders are people and people are the dominant predator on the planet. They don't Penguins but that doesn't make the little guys safe.
Islanders

The Analysis
I'm a fan of the outline of Long Island in the background of the Islanders logo, but I've recently been informed of the deep ties that elements of the Penguiins logo have to the city of Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that it's not easily recognizable to anyone not from Pittsburgh, I think it's more important that the logo means something to the home town crowd. And apparently it does.
Penguins

WINNER

2-1

 

Hurricanes vs Maple Leafs

	vs
HURRICANES		MAPLE LEAFS
9-1		1-10

The Aesthetics
I know I continue to disappoint Maple Leafs fans for my lack of love for their logo, but I like pictures. The symbol on a jersey should be just that — a symbol. And while I think the leaf by itself is a little too boring to be its own logo, there's plenty that can be done to improve it. Or at least that's what I'm telling people. The Hurricanes logo is a cool one — a symbol for a jersey.
Hurricanes

The Nickname
This one pretty much writes itself. The winds of a Hurricane would blow all the Maple Leafs away.
Hurricanes

The Analysis
Now my distaste for the spelled out name on the maple leaf doesn't extend to this category. The reason I think it deserves this point over the Hurricanes is that the 'Canes logo lacks a good representation of the Carolinas, while the leaf is the very symbol of Canada itself and you can't really beat that.
Maple Leafs

WINNER

2-1

 

Lightning vs Canadiens

	vs
LIGHTNING		CANADIENS
5-5		7-3

The Aesthetics
Man, I'm starting to get too predictable. If it's got words, count it out. But wait! Do I have a surprise for you! You see, the Canadiens logo is all letters — a "C" and an "H" — while the Lightning logo may have the team name, it actually has a graphic symbol of a lightning bolt. Try to resist the temptation of calling me biased. My team's logo sucks and is performing as such in this tournament.
Lightning

The Nickname
Imagine being a Canadien walking down the street only to then be struck by Lightning. That would hurt.
Lightning

The Analysis
I've been getting conflicting reports from visitors to the blog over whether the "H" in the Canadiens logo stands for "hockey" or "Habs" — as in Les Habitants. Unfortunately for me, neither visitor has identified himself as a sports or hockey historian leaving me with no real answers. (One even asked to get my facts straight at Wikipedia of all places.) Regardless, I think the "H" is cool. I think it's cool that it could stand for either one of those things — or both. There's nothing that cool about the Lightning logo. No sweep.
Canadiens

WINNER

2-1

 

Canucks vs Ducks

	vs
CANUCKS		DUCKS
4-6		1-9

The Aesthetics
This is easy. The wordmark the Ducks are claiming is a logo... isnt. Meanwhile, the color combination in the Canucks logo is cool, not that the Ducks colors aren't — but they need a better logo.
Canucks

The Nickname
If he was a good shot, a Canuck might be able to successfully hunt a Duck.
Canucks

The Analysis
Aside from the "C" formed the logo itself, the Canucks logo doesn't do much to represent the very team name it's meant to — but neither does the Ducks logo. A webbed duck foot in the form of a "D" isn't enough of a saving grace for this logo. And it gets swept again.
Canucks

WINNER

3-0