I must mention first that unfortunately none of the 1st Round series are of great interest to me. I'll explain that in order as I present it.
1. Toronto - Ottawa (My preference for Ottawa is significant enough, and with the likelihood that Toronto will win, I want to see if Ottawa can pull off the upset.)
2. Tampa - Florida (It's only because of Marchand. Otherwise, I wouldn't have an interest in this series at all.)
3. Vegas - Minnesota (Almost immediately, this is demonstration of why I have little interest in most of these matchups. Definitely like Minnesota more than Vegas, but still I'm not any kind of "fan" of the Wild. But on the other hand, Vegas has won more than enough in its short history, so I'm routing for Minnesota.)
4. Washington - Montreal (Not a fan of Washington, but just destroy Montreal, okay. If Montreal starts with any kind of surprise that they could have a chance in this series, then this series could immediately move up to #1.)
5. Carolina - New Jersey (Carolina is my #1 preference to win the Cup, but I just don't think New Jersey will be a problem for them. But just like the Capitals - Canadiens series, if the Devils start to surprise then my interest in this series could change.)
6. Los Angeles - Edmonton (Very similar to the Capitals vs Canadiens, I don't like either team but I hate the Oilers. So Kings, get this recent monkey off your back and eliminate them.)
7. Winnipeg - St Louis (Definitely routing for St Louis, BUT, even though I kind of "hate" Winnipeg, it's definitely a small "h" hate due to the fact that it's a Canadian team that's never won the Cup. So if the Jets were to eliminate the Blues, I wouldn't be too bothered by it.) Nevertheless, go Blues.
8. Dallas - Colorado (Definitely prefer Colorado, but that preference isn't that important to me here in a 1st Round matchup between these two teams. The deeper in to the Playoffs this matchup would be, the more interest I would have.) Go Colorado.