You could entertain yourself for a few days just contemplating the eerie similarities between the Heat and the Blackhawks — both had 16-7 records in the playoffs, faced three elimination games, staged stunning comebacks in Game 6 of the finals — just to stretch this out a little more.
In a rematch of the previous year's opening round, the Penguins began the 2008 playoffs facing the Ottawa Senators, whom they quickly swept in four games.
The winner in the playoffs faces the games final boss, Petey, in a series for the Cup.
Mexico, who required a late USA winner against Panama to even reach the playoff, face New Zealand in the second leg next Wednesday.
No such conference playoff faces the Pac-10, where five teams have one defeat.
If the Bengals make the playoffs and face the Texans in the first round, the game will be reclassified a non-B.C.S. bowl and played on the Big Ten Network.
The heavily favored Saints traveled to the West Coast in last year's playoffs to face the Seahawks, the easy-to-overlook champions of the league's weakest conference.
They are one victory away from sealing their place in the Premiership playoffs and face Racing 92 on Sunday in their first European Cup semi-final since 2009.
