Sabres vs Thrashers

	vs
SABRES		THRASHERS
3-1		2-3

The Aesthetics
We've got pointy edges and curved lines galore. Don't you love it! If we just start denying points for the use of a hockey stick in a logo, I think that's a bit harsh. Aside from that particular blunder, the Thrashers actually have a very strong logo. The "Buffaslug" as Sabres fans call it, lacks color and imagination.
Thrashers

The Nickname
A little bird has no chance against a sharp sword. Or so you would think. The Thrasher, however, is smart enough to fly away from the man with the Sabre.
Thrashers

The Analysis
One question: Where is the sabre in the Sabres logo? When it gets found, I will award them this point. Until then, the Thrashers logo is fitting if for no other reason than it features an actual bird. The coolest thing, in my opinion, is the swatch of light blue at the top of the shield that the team has actually made into a primary color.
Thrashers

WINNER

3-0

 

Hurricanes vs Islanders

	vs
HURRICANES		ISLANDERS
6-0		1-6

The Aesthetics
This one is quite obvious. One spells out the entire team name, the other doesn't. One blatantly features a hockey stick and an ugly puck. The other features a subtle puck and is just all-around better looking. Hmm, who could it be?
Hurricanes

The Nickname
Hurricanes have a habit of devastating islands leaving Islanders homeless from time to time.
Hurricanes

The Analysis
This is where you can't take for granted the little things like sending a shout-out to your home crowd. The outline of Long Island in the background of the blue circle in the Islanders logo makes a big difference. Here's the thing, though. On one side, I see a hurricane. Show me an actual islander and you can have this point, Isles. The "Gordon's fisherman" logo may have been silly, but at least I saw an islander in it.
Hurricanes

WINNER

3-0

 

Blues vs Sharks

	vs
BLUES		SHARKS
4-2		3-4

The Aesthetics
Both logos have cool, unique colors but its the Blues that makes better use of it. That paired with the Sharks logo's use of a hockey stick will give the Blues this point.
Blues

The Nickname
Here's another one of those eternal questions. Why would a Blues singer ever have to face a Shark? I guess it doesn't matter, just that the shark gets dinner.
Sharks

The Analysis
Blues as a team name doesn't leave you with a whole lot of logo options, so this works. I was a fan of the trumpets though, which the team wore as a shoulder patch in the late '90s. Can't have everything, though. The Sharks logo is easy — it's a shark — the creativity comes with the triangle as a basic shape and the broken hockey stick. I don't love hockey sticks in logos but this sort of makes sense for the Sharks. Still, we have a pair of solid logos which makes this a difficult match to determine. But we'll give it to the Sharks for that fierce logo among other things.
Sharks

WINNER

2-1