The bigger story for Ottawa is the blue line. Jake Sanderson left the 3-2 win in Toronto at 12:45 of the 1st period and then sat out against Boston and Detroit. Travis Green said the injury was "not as serious" as feared, and Sanderson and Artem Zub were expected to rejoin the team within days. Sanderson is still listed day-to-day, Zub is still on IR and Cameron Crotty is day-to-day too. Up front, William Eklund is out for an "extended" stretch with an ankle injury from a hit in the 2-1 win over Philadelphia. Green expects him back this season and doesn't think he needs surgery.
New Jersey has its own question, and it's in net. NHL.com's season preview called goaltending the Devils' biggest challenge. Jake Allen is 36 and posted a .904 save percentage over 37 games last season, and Nico Daws is getting his first real shot at a full-time NHL job. Allen was sharp against Vancouver, stopping 20 of 21, but the 2 losses before that put 11 goals on the board. The Devils are also playing without Nick Bjugstad (long-term IR), Connor Brown and Seamus Casey, who is out 6-8 weeks after a knee procedure.
Ottawa's wins so far have been tight, 3-2 in Toronto and 2-1 over Philadelphia, with a 4-1 win in Boston between them. The Senators have been doing it with a patched-up defense, and that's exactly the group Hughes is best at pulling apart. If Sanderson is back, Ottawa looks like the team that has held up all month. If he isn't, Allen and the Devils' defense get to find out how much pressure the Senators can create with a short blue line and Eklund out of the top 6.
Sunday's off-day is the Devils' advantage in the schedule, and the Nashville game is the open question for Ottawa. Expect a clearer read on both teams once the Senators have played Saturday and their injury list has been updated.