Goalkeepers held sway at Home Park as Plymouth's Romain Larrieu and Northampton's Nathan Abbey ensured that a game that did not lack chances ended goalless.
Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock had threatened wholesale changes in the wake of the Pilgrims' 2-1 defeat at Wycombe last week.
However, he ended up making just one, handing French midfielder Osvaldo Lopes his full league debut in place of compatriat David Friio, who was ruled out with a groin strain.
Northampton striker Marco Gabbiadini recovered from a groin problem of his own to allow manager Kevan Broadhurst to field the same line-up that beat Mansfield 2-0 at Sixfields seven days earlier.
Northampton almost caught Plymouth napping when Gabbiadini set up Paul Trollope inside the first minute, forcing Larrieu into a smart save.
After that Argyle dominated the first half and did everything but score - three times defenders headed out crosses from under their own crossbar.
However, the best chance fell to Lopes after he was played in by Micky Evans. Despite looking offside, it took a fine save from Abbey, deputising for Lee Harper, to deny him a goal on his debut.
The second half saw Northampton come right back into the game and they were controversially denied a penalty by referee Tony Bates when Graham Coughlan clearly handled.
Then Larrieu made three saves in quick succession to deny Ian Sampson, Daryl Burgess and Armand One, as Northampton battered Plymouth's overworked rearguard.
Plymouth nearly sneaked a winner at the death, however, when Coughlan stooped to a Hasney Aljofree cross and headed goalwards. Abbey, though, stretched to touch the ball off the line