The New Jersey Devils have spent the first month-plus of the season picking up where they left off last year. Maintaining that pace might have gotten a little tougher Friday afternoon.

The Devils will be without leading scorer Jack Hughes Saturday when they visit the Washington Capitals in the first clash of the season between the Metropolitan Division rivals.

The Devils have been off since Wednesday night, when Simon Nemec capped his hat trick by scoring the game-winner in overtime to lift New Jersey past the host Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3. The Capitals concluded a four-game road trip Thursday, when they fell to the Florida Panthers 6-3.

The two days off might have been costly for the Devils, who announced Friday that Hughes is out with what the team described as a "non-hockey, hand inju

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