Islanders vs Maple Leafs

	vs
ISLANDERS		MAPLE LEAFS
2-11		1-12

The Aesthetics
A real battle of the titans here on the final day of the tournament. More text-filled logos in this match. Unfortunately, the Islanders logo commits the other sin of incorporating and blatant hockey stick and puck combo. I'm not impressed. This one will go to the Maple Leafs logo.
Maple Leafs

The Nickname
A Maple Leaf logo is thin and flimsy. An Islander could easily crush one under his fishing boots.
Islanders

The Analysis
To put it plainly, I believe a logo should serve as a symbol for a team therefore making redundant the use of the team name in said logo. I get tradition and all that and quite frankly can't see either of these logos being drastically changed. The Islanders tried that once and fans revolted. Still, I have to pick a winner. I'm going with the Maple Leafs because the leaf logo is iconic. There is no need for all the text. Shame it'll only be their second win in my tournament. Time for you guys to decide which logo is best. Come back on Sunday and start making your voices heard!
Maple Leafs

WINNER

2-1

 

Lightning vs Rangers

	vs
LIGHTNING		RANGERS
6-7		3-10

The Aesthetics
Well the text abounds here on the final day of the qualifying tournament. Since both logos use it in excess, we'll just have to look past the text. And call me biased (and I may well be), but I think the Lightning logo is a little more dynamic (though perhaps not as old as the Rangers'). At least there's more to it than just a shield. Maybe one day they'll take my advice and go full on with the Lady Liberty logo.
Lightning

The Nickname
Rangers work way up high in those elevated ranger stations where they are very prone to strikes of Lightning. Or something like that.
Lightning

The Analysis
Since its the last day of the tournament, we'll make this easy. The Rangers logo has the staying power of like a hundred years or something. The Lightning logo has needed an upgrade for the last 10 years. Finally, it's going to get it, though. Maybe then I'd be more apt to give it this point. Still, they sneak by with the win and finish the tournament even.
Rangers

WINNER

2-1

 

Maple Leafs vs Penguins

	vs
MAPLE LEAFS		PENGUINS
1-11		3-10

The Aesthetics
Penguins fans, you're in luck for your team's final match of the tournament. Maple Leafs fans, not so much. Sorry, no way to please everybody. And tradition has never affected my judgment as far as this competition goes if you've read any of these before. The bottom line: I don't like text in logos. It defeats the purpose, doesn't it? It's supposed to be a symbol for the team. Here, we should already know who the text culprit is.
Penguins

The Nickname
I'm sorry but we're talking about a Maple Leaf. Even a Penguin could crunch one of those under its little foot.
Penguins

The Analysis
What says Canada more than a giant maple leaf? Not much can really fit that bill. At the same time, I'm not sure a gold triangle really screams Pittsburgh to anyone not familiar with the area. Having said that, both logos are appropriate to their teams, even if they could use a little work here and there. Ultimately though, the penguin in the hockey gear continues to bewilder me. Still, the Pens pull off a win in their final match of the tournament.
Maple Leafs

WINNER

2-1

 

Sabres vs Rangers

	vs
SABRES		RANGERS
6-7		3-9

The Aesthetics
The battle of New York we've all been waiting for is finally here. Before the ultra-traditionalists come for me, I should preface this with a disclaimer: I try not to let nostalgia and tradition get in the way of determining what a good logo is. That being said, I think the Lady Liberty logo from the third jersey could kick everybody's asses. This one cannot.
Sabres

The Nickname
You don't suppose a Ranger might carry a Sabre, do you? Not if he was a park ranger, I guess. Then he would probably be armed with a rifle with a range better than four feet.
Rangers

The Analysis
I know, this is a problem for the Rangers. What is a Ranger? Are they so unsure they don't bother to put a logo on the front of the jersey? Or is that laziness. I've lamented the fact that a buffalo is serving as a logo for a team called the Sabres, but at the very least, there's a very subtle sword on the back of that buffalo. And we'll call it a day for them. The Sabres finish even.
Sabres

WINNER

2-1

 

Penguins vs Hurricanes

	vs
PENGUINS		HURRICANES
3-9		11-1

The Aesthetics
Can you believe it? The last day of the tournament is Friday! I wish I could be of more help Penguins fans, but we're talking about the Hurricanes here. The puck is the eye of the storm. Doesn't that just say it all? The scowling penguin has a hockey stick. And gloves. And he's wearing skates! What did you guys call that '90s logo? A pigeon? I thought it was a good logo but what do I know anyway?
Hurricanes

The Nickname
I don't know that Penguins get a lot of Hurricanes in their natural habitats, but I'm pretty sure they'd be blown away (literally) if they did.
Hurricanes

The Analysis
I understand the Penguins logo and its significance to Pittsburgh. But I can't seem to get beyond the hockey gear on the little bird. I'm sorry. And it's not like I don't like the logo. Every time I see it all I can think of is Mario Lemieux. But sadly, that's not enough. The Hurricanes logo kicks ass, carrying on the tradition of the old Hartford Whalers.
Hurricanes

WINNER

3-0

 

Bruins vs Devils

	vs
BRUINS		DEVILS
8-3		12-1

The Aesthetics
I was going to make a comment about how both of these logos have circles for primary elements. But what's wrong with circles, anyway? They've long made for great logos worldwide in every aspect. Anyway, they each also have letters inside their circles. Though, here's where I think I'd be more impressed if the "B" formed some sort of bruin since the "NJ" manages to form a devil. Good stuff.
Devils

The Nickname
Devil, all-powerful, et cetera. Bruin, itty-bitty bear in comparison. Fire, brimstone, hell, move on. Stupid Satan. Go ahead, smite me with your pitchfork! (Okay, that's enough.)
Devils

The Analysis
I don't know what it is that makes the Bruins logo stand out so much. Maybe its the thick black lines over yellow. Not that the Devils logo has nothing to offer. This is a tough one. But I have yet to actual mention this so I'm going to take this opportunity. It's been pointed out to me that the spokes behind the "B" form a wheel, a hub if you will. And why is this significant? In fact, Oliver Wendell Holmes referred to the State House in Boston as the "hub of the solar system." Long story short: It stuck. And here we are. The Hub of Hockey. End of the road for the Devils, by the way. Count 'em up.
Bruins

WINNER

2-1

 

Flyers vs Capitals

	vs
FLYERS		CAPITALS
5-8		4-8

The Aesthetics
Hey, speaking of the Capitals. A dissenter (Pens fan) among you recently commented that I was a "bandwagon hockey fan" because my personal preferences lean away from liking his team's logo. He called me a Capitals fan. I'm sure he didn't mean any offense to Caps fans. Anyway, if you are one, don't be offended by my distaste for your team's logo. I like the new colors, but wordmarks don't work for me.
Flyers

The Nickname
You suppose some Flying creatures could attack a Capital city? It would be like a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock movie. (You come up with something better.)
Flyers

The Analysis
I like the three stars on the top of the Capitals logo but that's about its sole redeeming quality in my eyes. They're blurry. That's why I wear glasses. The "P" in the Flyers logo does a better job of subtly referencing its home city. And that I like. There are other things too that I've mentioned in past matches, but we'll leave that for now. It's the end of the tournament for the Flyers. They'll finish with a sweep.
Flyers

WINNER

3-0

 

Penguins vs Senators

	vs
PENGUINS		SENATORS
3-8		4-6

The Aesthetics
Both of these teams seem to like a little gold with their black but it's the Senators who add in the red to make the logo stand out a bit more. The Penguins logo just feels so flat. And there's the penguin wearing the hockey gear.
Senators

The Nickname
Since Senators make the laws, it seems to me that they have the upper hand on the Penguins as they could choose to protect them or not.
Senators

The Analysis
The better features of these two logos have recently been pointed out to me by readers. The golden triangle has significance to Pittsburgh. Also the gold circle in the Senators logo makes an "O" for Ottawa while you could say the red galea creates a "C" to symbolize Canada. If that's the case, it means the Maple Leafs and Oilers are the only Canadian teams not to work in a "C" of some sort. But I digress. The point is, the Penguins logo comes off like a '60s cartoon to me (go ahead, take your shots now). I'll go with the centurion.
Senators

WINNER

3-0

 

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

 

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

 

Penguins vs Panthers

	vs
PENGUINS		PANTHERS
2-6		8-1

The Aesthetics
The Panthers logo looks downright scary, let's just be clear on that. The Penguins logo makes an attempt at looking mean but it's feeble at best. I don't think it should be carrying a hockey stick and wearing old-fashioned gloves. I also think the secondary logo would be an improvement, which it was for a time until the Pens returned to this one.
Panthers

The Nickname
A Panther could eat a Penguin for lunch without even trying that hard.
Panthers

The Analysis
Both logos depict their namesake well without bothering to indicate the home town. It's not necessary for the Panthers, but it wouldn't hurt the Penguins. Now if the penguin could just put that annoying stick down we'd all be better off. The Panthers logo engages in quite a bit of minutia and it would be nice if they had a simpler version of the cat. Failing that, it's still a winner. The Panthers logo should be around for a long time. It's become a great hockey symbol in its 14 years.
Panthers

WINNER

3-0

 

Devils vs Canadiens

	vs
DEVILS		CANADIENS
11-1		7-2

The Aesthetics
With only a single match remaining after today, the Devils have proven to be a real contender among the NHL's best logos. I'm rather impressed, actually. It's difficult to say which logo should get this point. The color schemes are very appropriate to each and feature cool, subtle letters. The reason I'm going with the Devils logo is that its subtle letters actually form the devil. That's the makings of a good logo.
Devils

The Nickname
We've discussed what an evil bastard the Devil is. Even Canadiens aren't exempt from the wrath of his wretchedness.
Devils

The Analysis
While it could be open to discussion as to which logo really earned this point, I'm going to say the Canadiens logo deserves it. The mysterious "H" inside the "C" was finally revealed recently by a reader. I was hoping to save it for the Canadiens' last match of the tournament, but we can give it up here in number 10. It stands for "Les Habitants," a French message for the fans dating back to the club's early days. Where's the subtle message in the Devils' logo?
Canadiens

WINNER

2-1

 

Bruins vs Islanders

	vs
BRUINS		ISLANDERS
4-2		1-9

The Aesthetics
There certainly are a lot of circles before us today. And within said circles are letters. Were I to go about this arbitrarily, I'd say the logo with the fewest letters contained within the circle should get this point. But to be arbitrary is wrong. The Bruins logo gets it because the Islanders logo features more than a few of my aesthetic pet peeves, such as a hockey stick, puck and the team name written out.
Bruins

The Nickname
Islanders and Bruins are both known for doing in fish, but one-on-one, I think the larger bear has the upper hand.
Bruins

The Analysis
Often I've awarded this point to the Islanders for the outline of Long Island found in orange in the background of the logo. That'll continue today as what annoys me about the Bruins logo is its lack of an actual bruin. The scary bear on the new shoulder patches would work, but that's not in competition here.
Islanders

WINNER

2-1

 

Senators vs Devils

	vs
SENATORS		DEVILS
4-3		10-1

The Aesthetics
The Devils logo is simpler but the additional color in the Senators logo gives it extra layers. This is not meant to take away from the clever design of the Devils logo but rather to highlight how using more than two colors can be effective.
Senators

The Nickname
The Devil is one evil son of a bitch. A Senator doesn't have anything on him.
Devils

The Analysis
It's the subtle "NJ" making up the devil that will help give the Devils this point. As far as the Senators logo, it's nice but it could be better. I do like the third jersey version better and rumor has it that an updated version of that will be donning the crest of the Sens new unis this season. Until we find out for sure, this point is not for them.
Devils

WINNER

2-1

 

Maple Leafs vs Flyers

	vs
MAPLE LEAFS		FLYERS
1-8		4-8

The Aesthetics
These are a couple of classic example of NHL logos. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs won't win this point because of the words inside the leaf silhouette. I happen to like the leaf, though, I just think there's more they can do with it. The Flyers logo may be limited on color, but at least it uses more than two.
Flyers

The Nickname
I'm not sure a Maple Leaf could deal a blow to a Flyer of any sort.
Flyers

The Analysis
It's finally been time for the Flyers to shine today. I've always liked the logo; I've just liked others better. And I really do like the maple leaf silhouette but it just doesn't work for me with the team name in the middle of it. The Flyers logo, alternatively, is solid and classic, despite the fact that it was obviously designed in the 1960s. What sells it for me is the "P" for Phildelphia attached to a wing. And we have a sweep.
Flyers

WINNER

3-0