The set-up: The New Jersey Devils are off to a 5-1-0 start, coming off having recorded the fewest points in the Eastern Conference last season. Meanwhile, while the 3-1-2 Ottawa Senators have earned at least one point in five of their first six games but they welcome the Devils to the Canadian Tire Centre tonight having yet to win a home game. The Senators are 3-0-0 on the road but fell to 0-1-2 at home on Tuesday, after being shut out 3-0 by Vancouver.

New Jersey: "There's no real reason to harp on the last couple of seasons," Devils forward Kyle Palmieri, whose shootout goal was the difference in Tuesday's 5-4 win over red-hot Tampa Bay, told reporters. "If you look back at last year, obviously it was a disappointment, but we've turned the page. We're off to a good start and hopefully we can continue to play this good hockey." Veteran forward Drew Stafford, who was limited to eight goals while splitting last season between Winnipeg and Boston, already has recorded three in as many games and scored twice on Tuesday while playing on a line with rookie Nico Hischier. The No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, Hischier collected a pair of assists against Tampa Bay but remains in search of his first goal. "

Ottawa: Captain Erik Karlsson was sidelined for the first five games after undergoing off-season foot surgery, but returned on Tuesday. However, his season debut was spoiled by teh Canucks winning 3-0. Karlsson, who led Ottawa in scoring last season and was magnificent in the playoffs, was sure not eased back into the lineup slowly, as he led all defensemen in ice time (22 minutes, 25 seconds) on Tuesday. "A little rusty, but overall OK," Karlsson told reporters. "I think we played a well-enough game for me to get back into the groove of things. I still need to fine-tune a few things and it's going to take some time, but overall, I felt pretty decent." He reported no ill effects after the game (good news).

The pick: The Devils own the league's top-ranked power play (8-for-26) and buoyed by a productive rookie class, are off to their best start in nine years. The contributions of three rookies are eye-catching. Defenseman Will Butcher leads the team in scoring with nine points, all assists, while two teenagers, winger Jesper Bratt (three goals, three assists) and first overall pick Nico Hischier (four assists), have also made immediate impacts. Head coach John Hynes said goalies Cory Schneider (4-1-0, 2.95 GGA & .917 SP) and Keith Kinkaid (1-0-0, 2.00 GAA & .935 SP) will split the back-to-back games against Ottawa and San Jose, but he didn't say which will tend the pipes at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. Meanwhile, Senators head coach Guy Boucher confirmed he will start Craig Anderson (2-1-2, 1.91 GAA & .926 SP) in goal for the sixth time this season against the Devils, and also that rugged defenseman Mark Borowiecki will miss the game with an upper-body issue that developed after he fought in the past three games. Karlsson's got a game under his belt and aren't the Senaytors overdue for a home win? Yes, NJ owns the league's best power-play (see above) but the Senators were the last team to yield a power-play goal and are 15-for-16 on the penalty kill. Strength vs. strength! Make Ottawa an 8* play.