Well, since someone probably wanted to know, here's this year's playoff
matchups on the left, and what the matchups would be next year under the
new alignment and playoff-matchup rules.  The same 16 teams make the playoffs
under next year's rules, and three of the first round matchups are the same
(QUE-MTL, CHI-STL, VAN-WIN).

PIT --+                      +-- CHI | PIT --+                      +-- CHI
      +---+              +---+       |       +---+              +---+
NJ  --+   |              |   +-- STL | BUF --+   |              |   +-- STL
          +---+      +---+           |           +---+      +---+
WAS --+   |   |      |   |   +-- DET | QUE --+   |   |      |   |   +-- TOR
      +---+   |      |   +---+       |       +---+   |      |   +---+
NYI --+       |      |       +-- TOR | MTL --+       |      |       +-- CAL
              +------+               |               +------+
BOS --+       |      |       +-- VAN | WAS --+       |      |       +-- VAN
      +---+   |      |   +---+       |       +---+   |      |   +---+
BUF --+   |   |      |   |   +-- WIN | NJ  --+   |   |      |   |   +-- WIN
          +---+      +---+           |           +---+      +---+
QUE --+   |              |   +-- CAL | BOS --+   |              |   +-- DET
      +---+              +---+       |       +---+              +---+
MTL --+                      +-- LA  | NYI --+                      +-- LA


====================================================================
    Jim Murawski
    Sr. Software Engineer               (412) 268-2650  [office]
    Administrative Computing and        (412) 268-6868  [fax]
         Information Services           jjm+@andrew.cmu.edu
    Carnegie Mellon University          Office: UCC 155
    4910 Forbes Avenue
    Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

    "Le Mieux!  Le Magnifique!  Soixante Six!  Claude...NON!"