Rangers vs Canadiens

	vs
RANGERS		CANADIENS
1-1		0-0

The Aesthetics
The blue, red and white abound here. Truthfully, I like the Canadiens logo's blue is better. It's a little deeper and contrasts the red nicely. Unfortunately for the Rangers, the spelling out of the team name and city always makes for an unwelcome distraction. The Canadiens logo not only has a "C" but a subtle "H."
Canadiens

The Nickname
A park Ranger is a big fella who lives in the wilderness. A little French Canadien would get pounded in a fistfight. No chance.
Rangers

The Analysis
For both teams, the nicknames make it difficult to come up with a logo that pushes beyond letters. Both logos come from Original Six teams and so have been around a number of years. Their staying power is impressive but do they really represent their team names? The Rangers logo utilizes a simple shield common in many logos while the Canadiens actually works in a subtle "H" that means something to French fans. For being clever, the Canadiens squeak by with the point.
Canadiens

WINNER

2-1

 

Blue Jackets vs Flames

	vs
BLUE JACKETS		FLAMES
1-0		0-0

The Aesthetics
Here we see two teams with very nice logos. The Flames logo is a great idea if not a little obvious. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, works in a very subtle "C" and other clever elements that make it more visually appealing. But it was a close one.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
The Blue Jackets fighting for the Union were great soldiers, but they don't really stand a chance against Flames. Unless their coats happened to be fire retardant. But they weren't.
Flames

The Analysis
Aside from its Civil War history, Columbus' choice for a team named the Blue Jackets seems a little odd to me. I really like the fact that the Flames kept the name after moving from Atlanta to Calgary. The flames inside the "A" for the Atlanta logo goes very well with the "C" currently used. The "A" is even used today as the alternate captain patch on the ice.
Flames

WINNER

2-1

 

Panthers vs Capitals

	vs
PANTHERS		CAPITALS
1-0		1-0

The Aesthetics
Both logos use a lot of detail and eye-catching elements, but face it, the Panthers is just so much cooler. It's hard to say who has the better colors, but I"m going have to give the Panthers the edge here.
Panthers

The Nickname
The Panther is an endangered species and it is in the Capital where they write the laws to protect them.
Capitals

The Analysis
As I've said, the Panthers is a very appropriate nickname for a team from Florida. Not that Capitals doesn't work for a team from Washington, D.C. Ultimately, we have to look at the colors and logo design. I'm giving the edge to the Panthers because of the Capitals' use of hockey sticks in the logo. They do add some nice symmetry but they're rather unnecessary.
Panthers

WINNER

2-1

 

Rangers vs Senators

	vs
RANGERS		SENATORS
1-0		0-1

The Aesthetics
I know the Rangers logo has been around forever but it's a little boring. I'm also a little annoyed at the fact that, while it is the primary logo for the team, it never makes an appearance on any of the team's jerseys. The Senators, however, is a solid design that we actually see on the uniforms.
Senators

The Nickname
In a straight-up fistfight, a Ranger could totally take a Senator.
Rangers

The Analysis
The Rangers have been around forever, though there's a case to be made that the Senators have too — they just had to endure a long hiatus. Ultimately, though, I really think the Rangers need to upgrade their look and go with the third jerseys full time, including the primary and secondary logos. That's why they don't get the point.
Senators

WINNER

2-1

 

Kings vs Coyotes

	vs
KINGS		COYOTES
1-1		0-0

The Aesthetics
The similarities in these logos are interesting. Both feature white, black, a deep jewel tone and an off-white color — purple and silver for the Kings, brick red and sand for the Coyotes. I was a fan of the original Coyotes logo so I didn't understand why they'd planned to change it. Still, I wasn't completely disappointed with the result. For me, it wins out over the Kings.
Coyotes

The Nickname
The same way it had the predator killed, the King could easily have one of his minions take out any Coyote that might wish him harm. Easily.
Kings

The Analysis
Okay seriously, could the Coyotes have come up with a better name for the team when it moved from Winnipeg? I doubt it. While I'm not sure what relevance kings have to Los Angeles, it does make a good name for a sports team. The Coyotes get the point just by a slight margin.
Coyotes

WINNER

2-1

 

Blackhawks vs Oilers

	vs
BLACKHAWKS		OILERS
0-3		0-1

The Aesthetics
The Blackhawks logo's lack of a defined color scheme is in stark contrast to the blue, copper and red of the Oilers. Just on pure aesthetics, the Oilers is the much better-looking logo.
Oilers

The Nickname
Chief Black Hawk and and Oiler wouldn't have lived at the same time in history, but if they had, the tomahawk would probably be enough to take out the oil man.
Blackhawks

The Analysis
Based on where the teams got their names from, the Blackhawks would be a shoo-in for the point here. I'm not really sure what Oilers has to do with the city of Edmonton, but we already discussed the background of the Blackhawks. For that reason, the 'Hawks get the edge, but really only barely.
Blackhawks

WINNER

2-1

 

Flyers vs Bruins

	vs
FLYERS		BRUINS
1-1		0-0

The Aesthetics
Here, both logos are very simple and very similar. Black and white are featured primarily with a slim helping of a color and each features the first letter of the home city. While the Bruins logo simply features a "B" in a circle, the "P" attached to a wing in the Flyers gives the feeling of movement and is therefore more eye-catching.
Flyers

The Nickname
Assuming the Flyer is a bird, when it lands in the tree, the Bruin will climb up and eat it. Yum!
Bruins

The Analysis
Both teams have been around for a long time. And while the Bruins emblem has gone through many alterations and upgrades, the Flyers logo has remained largely the same throughout its lifetime. Cheers to staying power and Halloween colors.
Flyers

WINNER

2-1

 

Predators vs Kings

	vs
PREDATORS		KINGS
2-1		0-1

The Aesthetics
Both logos seem to have an equal amount of detail, but the Predators make use of more than one or two colors. Aside from black, white and silver, purple is the primary Kings color and there couldn't be a better one. After years of trying to come up with a good logo — failed attempts with purple/yellow and black/silver — the combination of past tries has resulted in a keeper. The Kings, but just by a hair.
Kings

The Nickname
The King rules the land and, if he wanted, could have a Predator of any kind shot dead on the spot. He's powerful.
Kings

The Analysis
The Kings have existed for 40 years but their one claim to fame is that Wayne Gretzky once brought greatness to the locker room. Without him, the team has never really proved itself as a perennial contender of any sort. Still, the logo is top-notch. I only wish they'd kept the coat of arms logo as the primary instead of switching it with the crown. For that reason, the point goes to the Predators, whose story we already know.
Predators

WINNER

2-1

 

Wild vs Ducks

	vs
WILD		DUCKS
0-0		0-1

The Aesthetics
It doesn't take much to see that the Wild deserves this point over the Ducks. While the Ducks logo barely features a non-letter element, the Wild manages to work in a sunset behind a forest scene with a trail in the profile head of a bear with a "north star" as its eye. It certainly makes the best use of hidden features and I love it.
Wild

The Nickname
Ducks live in the Wild and need it to survive. The Wild however, would go on without Ducks.
Wild

The Analysis
As stated, the Wild is undoubtedly one of the cleverest logos in the NHL. The inclusion of so many Minnesota-related elements makes it top notch. Even the Ducks' new colors, of which I'm a fan, are nothing compared to the color combination used by the Wild. Plus, the Ducks logo's use of words over design elements leaves me wanting more.
Wild

WINNER

3-0

 

Red Wings vs Sharks

	vs
RED WINGS		SHARKS
1-1		1-0

The Aesthetics
Neither logo would win a lot of points for color. The Red Wings features only red and the Sharks uses its unique teal very scarcely. That being said, the Sharks logo is very eye-catching and despite its tiny detail in the broken hockey stick, it squeaks by with the point.
Sharks

The Nickname
I can't think of a Red-Winged bird that would be flying anywhere near a coastline that would subject it to a Shark attack.
Red Wings

The Analysis
Like I've said, the Sharks logo has disappointed me in its lack of color. I can see where the black shark comes off as more fierce, but the teal color could be used better. And even though it does feature a hockey stick, I like the idea of it being bitten by the Shark. There isn't very much going on in the Red Wings logo. It's solid but could use a design upgrade, and up against the Sharks, it doesn't really stand a chance.
Sharks

WINNER

2-1