Blue Jackets vs Oilers

	vs
BLUE JACKETS		OILERS
0-0		0-0

The Aesthetics
Right off the bat, the Blue Jackets gets an easy point here. Both logos use a few the same colors — blue and red — but the Oilers does not really use them its advantage.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
A union soldier and an oilman are a couple of pretty tough fellas. Should a Blue Jacket ever have to face an Oiler in battle though, he has a bayonet and could therefore win.
Blue Jackets

The Analysis
Both teams have solid nicknames and logos. The Oilers has withstood the test of time, born in the days before the team joined the NHL. Good upgrades were made a decade ago when the bright orange was replaced with copper and red trim. It's a solid look that is hard to beat.
Oilers

WINNER

2-1

 

Sabres vs Senators

	vs
SABRES		SENATORS
1-1		0-0

The Aesthetics
The use of color in both logos is very appealing to the eye. There aren't too many or too few. The problem for the Senators comes in the detail. While I'm glad they removed the team name from the gold circle several years back, we're still a little heavy on the minutia. The Sabres logo features a single small element — the buffalo's red eye — it makes the logo more aesthetically interesting.
Sabres

The Nickname
A Senator is a person who makes laws. Untrained, he stands no chance against a soldier with a sharpened Sabre.
Sabres

The Analysis
It's interesting how neither logo really seems to capture the team's nickname. In the Sabres logo, there isn't a sword in sight, as I've mentioned. With the Senators, I see what seems to be a Spartan soldier. Still, the Senators logo is much stronger in portraying its nickname. I also think the color combination is better. I like the Sabres logo back when it was black and red.
Senators

WINNER

2-1

 

Flyers vs Hurricanes

	vs
FLYERS		HURRICANES
1-0		0-0

The Aesthetics
Both logos utilize black and white along with a primary color — red for the Hurricanes and orange for the Flyers. But the Hurricanes logo adds a silver accent. The Flyers works in a subtle "P" while the Hurricanes has a subtle puck. It's a tough one, but the Hurricanes gets the edge.
Hurricanes

The Nickname
Nothing can Fly anything in a Hurricane. It's as simple as that.
Hurricanes

The Analysis
I've always thought the Liberty Bell would make a good secondary logo for the Flyers, just like a torn hurricane flag makes a good secondary for the Hurricanes. But this competition is about primaries. Having said that, the Hurricanes name might be more appropriate for a team closer to the Gulf of Mexico, but still works for a state that has had its share of Hurricanes. I still don't really know what a "flyer" is exactly.
Hurricanes

WINNER

3-0

 

Maple Leafs vs Lightning

	vs
MAPLE LEAFS		LIGHTNING
0-1		0-0

The Aesthetics
Both of these teams break one of my cardinal rules. Spelling out the name in the primary logo. There's no need. It should be obvious which teams these are simply by the elements (i.e.: the leaf and the lightning bolt). That aside, the Lightning gets the edge for its use of color.
Lightning

The Nickname
If Lightning struck a maple tree, all the Maple Leafs would go up in flames.
Lightning

The Analysis
Both teams are very aptly named. The leaf featured on the Canadian flag is used on a different color and Tampa, Florida is deemed by some to be the lightning capital of the world. The Maple Leafs logo has been around forever while the Lightning has only been around 15 years. The Maple Leafs has proved staying power but silhouette logos are too easy.
Lightning

WINNER

3-0

 

Blues vs Red Wings

	vs
BLUES		RED WINGS
1-0		1-0

The Aesthetics
For one thing, both logos incorporate a wing element. So that's interesting. While the Red Wings logo has been around forever, the Blues is a little sleeker. I would almost venture to say that the same guy who designed the Flyers logo had a hand in the Blues. As far as aesthetics, the Blues logo has the edge.
Blues

The Nickname
This will be complicated. The situation here is that both teams have a color as part of their names. To determine which is superior — red or blue — we must look to the American Revolutionary War. Since the British fell, the Red Wings are obviously inferior to the Blues. (I warned you to expect some crazy nonsense.)
Blues

The Analysis
As I mentioned, both logos have elements attached to a wing. In the Red Wings case, it is the primary element, the wheel being there to represent the Motor City of Detroit. In the case of the Blues, the musical note is the primary element. The attached wing — I'm not really sure about why it's there.
Red Wings

WINNER

2-1