Both the heat and the panthers were 8th seeds this year. Both teams were the 1st seeds in the east last year. Both teams underachieved in the regular season compared to last year. Both teams barely made the playoffs.( panthers only got into the playoffs because the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the chicago blackhawks on the last day of the regular season, allowing florida to qualify for the stanley cup playoffs and the heat made the nba postseason as a wildcard by beating the bulls in their second play-in game.) Both were cinderella teams playing well above their talent level in the playoffs, until the finals.
Both teams upset a first seed/championship favorite in round 1. The panthers eliminated the best regular season team ever in NHL history in wins/points, the Boston Bruins in 7 games and the Heat elimianted the top seeded and heavy favorite bucks in 5 games.
Both teams handled the mecca franchises of their leagues in round 2(the florida panthers eliminated the toronto maple leafs, the mecca franchise of hockey in 5 games, and the heat crushed the new york knicks, the mecca franchise of basketball in 6)
Both teams took down heavy favorites in the conference finals. ( the panthers swept the carolina hurricanes and the heat beat the celtics in 7)
Both cinderella teams reverted back to pumpkins in the finals. They were outclassed, overwhelmed and overmatched by a superior opponent from the west. Both lost their championship series in 5 games.