CBS News Miami's Steve Goldstein: South Florida sports in '8th heaven'
MIAMI -- In hockey and basketball the eight seed is the final team in the conference to make the playoffs.
Usually that team is nothing more than an afterthought, a warm up for the top seeded team, which is the first round matchup. But not this year.
Not our teams. You see, no one told the Panthers and Heat they're an afterthought.
No one told them they're not supposed to be upsetting teams higher than them.No one told Jimmy Butler and Sergei Bobrovsky they were supposed to be one and done.
No one told Erik Spoelstra and Paul Maurice their players aren't good enough after just sneaking into the postseason.
Remarkably, both the eighth seed in the eastern conference playoffs and both are still playing. The Heat knocked off the number one seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round while the Panthers beat the best team in the regular season in hockey history, Boston. And on Friday night, a sports first.
The only time in history that teams from the same market won games to advance to the conference final on the same night.
The Heat at home against the Knicks, the Panthers in another country, north of the border beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime in a thrilling game 5.
Forget about saying a ride like this doesn't happen often in sports, it's more like a ride like this never happens in sports.
Now they both move on to the conference finals where nobody can bet against either team. There is something special going on with both the Panthers and the Heat, and this South Florida sports joyride continues for at least a few more weeks. Enjoy it.