Wednesday: Playoff Hockey? Great!

Hello everyone, and welcome to HCI!
It's been an eventful week for me so far, as my Babcia (Great Grandmother, Polish) passed away because of cancer. :( Although, she lived a very long life, as she was 100 years old! She told a story that when she was a little girl, she was in a refugee camp - and a bomb was flying her way...an opposing (I think) soldier was either trying to push her into the bomb, or probably to get her out of the way. The soldier was struck and she was able to escape.

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Playoff hockey has been great so far, but it's too bad that so many good teams get eliminated in the first round. Like St.Louis, and the loser of LA vs SJ.


Now on to the concepts:


Justin S. - Calgary Flames

Justin is here with a Flames concept! The home and away jerseys remind me of the old flames jerseys! The colours of the striping is good, instead of using the old Calgary alt logo, you could recolour the main Flames logo. I just don't really like that alt Flames logo. The alternate has the beloved (to me anyways) arm striping, although the random red stripe just before the TV numbers, and the yellow and black caution stripes I don't like. They should be changed to maybe solid yellow or white? Pretty good concept from Justin!


I recently made a Toronto Maple Leafs logo, (in production of my Heritage Classic HABS VS LEAFS concept) so here it is! I traced a real maple leaf and I think it turned out pretty well.

That's all for this post...thanks for reading!

Saturday: A German concept, and a rant.

Hello everyone, Alan here for another Saturday edition of HCI. I got one concept today for the first time in two weeks, but first, I got a quick rant. 

Last week I did my playoffs picks and let just say that one series that I though it would go all the way to 7 games with the Habs beating the Lightning, well the Habs did beat the Lightning, but only in 4 games, mainly because Tampa didn't really show up, Their main goalie is hurt, and their main star Stamkos is not at his 100%, witch means the Habs pretty much got their way in this series.

Now on to the concept.

Team Germany Concept [by Jake88]

Up points: The white jersey is well designed nicely, the stripes are brilliantly place at the right spots on both jerseys. The main logo is simple, but fits well with them jerseys.

Down points: The white sock isn't really right with black on the top of the sock. The number fonts is alright, but it looks plain to me without trims around it. Nameplate fonts is good but it's too big to me.

My suggestion: Either remove the big black on top of the white sock, or move it to the bottom of the sock. Add trims around the numbers.

Well that's Saturday. Hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend, til then later.

Friday: Like a Well Oiled Duck

Glad to be writing you today, Ricky Mazella here for another HCI Friday! The Lightning are out, the Kings stave off elimination, and everything else is relatively entertaining. But we have some entertaining concepts too - let's have a look see, shall we?

Anaheim Ducks

Submission by: Jake88

Jake starts us off with one of the most graceful Ducks concepts I've ever seen. That's pretty good given the lack of use of this crest logo. This could still use a face-lift, but it will do just fine. The numbers are a tad large all around, and the hem needs to be fixed up tremendously - I'd rather it match the arm stripes than the yoke. While the pants are what is regularly used, I've never been a fan of it's thin stripe.  Otherwise - It's the same old song.

Edmonton Oilers

Submission by: Alan John Herbert

This was a concept inspired by a contest over at HJC. This is one of the best I saw in that contest. It makes a lot of sense too - the curvature says it all. I have many times tried to patch together such a concept and it just never happened, this is somewhat something I had in mind. I wouldn't mind seeing a little orange in here, but that was changed from copper in the original color scheme to this logo set.

Another HCI installment in the books means time to get back to playoff hockey. Whichever your team is, relax and enjoy the great quality of hockey to come!

-Ricky

Monday: De Pens

No I don't have a long write up about how my team lost after having a 3-1 lead in double O.T., or how we can't score on 8 powerplays, I just have a concept for them.

After missing my last two posts I couldn't comment on our HCIHL, so now I will.
The Rivs pulled it out against the Stags and won the first Patafie cup, and their GM, was Caden Patafie... Coincidence?... Yeah probably.

The Lynx held onto the 3rd place spot through most of that series (I think) but the Foxes came back to win.

In the second consolation game, the my Express, now the Bighorns, pulled it out and won. And in the end, I somehow made Alan's Sabreswords lose two of their Regular season games they had already won, and the Express came in 5th. (See Season Standings)

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Pittsburgh Penguins (V. Contreas)

V. brings us this Pens concept. Believe me, I am all for the return of athletic gold, and dropping Vegas. Do I think Mario's ever gonna do it, No, but someone must have (for the better) swayed his opinion for the new rumored alternate. THANK YOU, for using the correct logo from that time period, not the new one, nor the Pigeon. I like everything about this concept but two things. 1. Silver. No silver or gray, or anything relating to that 90's alternate (which isn't bad, for it's time, but it needs to stay in the past). and 2. The striping order. If you turned the gray into white this would be fine, but the gray stripe, as it is now, is in the middle of the sleeve stripes and the top (outer) of the hem. It just looks sloppy. Concept Rating 7.5/10, the exclusion of gray would help so much.

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Ok then, hope you liked todays post, first concept in a while.

Saturday: Alan's Playoffs picks

Hi everyone, Alan here for your another Saturday post here on HCI. No concept today sadly, but I got my perdition of who going to win their 1st round of this year NHL playoffs, now I know it already started but hey might as well, let's go.

Eastern Conference
Boston [A1] vs. Detroit [WC2]
Boston: The Presidents Trophy winner is more ready then ever, heck Iggy played like he is in mid 20's, primed and scoring like crazy, some players are in their "A" game.
Detroit: The Wings are in the playoffs for the 23rd year in a row, just barely with some key players injured yet they're here.
 Overall: Bruins will have the edge on this one.
My Pick: Bruins over the Wings 4-1


Tampa Bay [A2] vs. Montreal [A3]
TBL: Last year they missed the playoffs, this year they're in the top 3 of the Atlantic division, what's makes it more surprising they did most of this season without Steve Stamkos and the the team took a risk and traded Martin St.Louis to the Rangers for Ryan Callahan, so far it's pretty well a winner for the Lightning.
Montreal: The Habs had their ups, and downs this season but in the end their in. The players were playing their "A" game, mainly Price who is playing like he's in the Olympics! The Habs are the only Canadian team that is in the playoffs.
Overall: One of these teams have what it takes to go to the second round no ifs, or buts about it.
My Pick: Habs over the Lightning 4-3


Pittsburgh [M1] vs. Columbus [WC1]
Pittsburgh: Just like last year the Pens played well in this season to be number 1 in their division.
Columbus: Well deserving to be in the playoffs, they got players who are at their "A" game, and the number 1 cop playing like he played last season that got him the Vezina trophy!
Overall: I don't see Columbus moving on to the 2nd round, but I do see this series going all the way!
My Pick: Pens over CBJ 4-3


NY Rangers [M2] vs Philadelphia [M3]
NYR: Got ousted in the semis, but this year they got some good players, good enough to hopefully go all the way to the finals.
Philly: Last year they played bad, this year they put their heads back in the game and made it to this year playoffs.
Overall: The way these two teams played this season in 2 to 2 season series ,it could go 7 games, but I got a feeling it won't be a 7 games.
My Pick: NYR over the Flyers 4-2


Western Conference
Colorado [C1] vs. Minnesota [WC1]
Colorado: After taking a big downfall from previous season, the team did some fixing with some good draft picks, trades, even the staffs, and here you go the team is back in the playoffs.
Minnesota: For the 2nd year in a row the Wild are in the playoffs, nothing to say about it.
Overall: Wild got in the playoffs, but the Avalanche got this one.
My Pick: Aves over the Wild 4-1


St.Louis  [C2] vs. Chicago [C3]
St.Louis: The Blues got game this season, but do they got what it take?
Chicago: Last year Stanley Cup champions are here and ready to defend their title.
Overall: The blues maybe better then the Hawks division wise, but in the playoffs it's a whole different story.
My Pick: Hawks over the Blues 4-2


Anaheim [P1] vs. Dallas [WC2]
Ducks: The team is determent to go all the way and win the cup.
Stars: For the first time since 2007-08 season they are back in the playoffs.
Overall: The Stars may have returned back to the playoffs, but the Ducks will make a quick series out of this.
My Pick: Ducks over Stars 4-0


San Jose [P2] vs. LA [P3]
SJS: The Sharks had a good season, over 100 pts this season is good enough to in the top 3 in their division.
LA: The Kings played very well this season, nuff said.
Overall: Battle in Cali one will rise, one will choke.
My Pick: LA over SJS 4-2


Well that's my picks for round 1! What's your perdition? Who will move on to the 2nd round? Who will go all the way? Who knows we will have to sit back and enjoy the playoffs, until then later.