2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes season

2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes
Central Division Champions
Division	1st Central
2020–21 record	36–12–8
Home record	20–3–5
Road record	16–9–3
Goals for	179
Goals against	136
Team information
General Manager	Don Waddell
Coach	Rod Brind'Amour
Captain	Jordan Staal
Alternate captains	Jordan Martinook Jaccob Slavin
Arena	PNC Arena
Average attendance	4,341 (of games that allowed fans)
Minor league affiliations	Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Sebastian Aho (24)
Assists	Sebastian Aho (33)
Points	Sebastian Aho (57)
Penalties in minutes	Andrei Svechnikov (44)
Plus/minus	Martin Necas (+25)
Wins	Alex Nedeljkovic James Reimer (15)
Goals against average	Alex Nedeljkovic (1.90)
<2019–20	2021–22>

The 2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes season was the 42nd season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established in June 1979, and 24th season since the franchise relocated from the Hartford Whalers to start the 1997–98 NHL season.

On December 20, 2020, the league temporarily realigned into four divisions with no conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing closure of the Canada–United States border. As a result of this realignment, the Hurricanes played this season in the Central Division and only played games against the other teams in their new division during the regular season and potentially the first two rounds of the playoffs.

On April 26, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth after a 4–3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. They went on to clinch their first division title since 2006. They defeated the Nashville Predators in the First Round in six games, but were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Second Round in five games.

Standings

Divisional standings

Central Division

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	RW	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	y – Carolina Hurricanes	56	36	12	8	27	179	136	+43	80
2	x – Florida Panthers	56	37	14	5	26	189	153	+36	79
3	x – Tampa Bay Lightning	56	36	17	3	29	181	147	+34	75
4	x – Nashville Predators	56	31	23	2	21	156	154	+2	64
5	e – Dallas Stars	56	23	19	14	17	158	154	+4	60
6	e – Chicago Blackhawks	56	24	25	7	15	161	186	−25	55
7	e – Detroit Red Wings	56	19	27	10	17	127	171	−44	48
8	e – Columbus Blue Jackets	56	18	26	12	12	137	187	−50	48

Schedule and results

Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.

2020–21 game log
January: 5–1–0 (Home: 3–0–0 ; Road: 2–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 January 14 Carolina 3–0 Detroit Mrazek 0 1–0–0 2 Recap 2 January 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Mrazek 0 1–1–0 2 Recap 3 January 18 Carolina 4–2 Nashville Reimer 0 2–1–0 4 Recap — January 19 Carolina – Nashville Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for March 2. — January 21 Florida – Carolina Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for February 17. — January 23 Florida – Carolina Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for March 7. — January 26 Tampa Bay – Carolina Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for February 22. 4 January 28 Tampa Bay 0–1 Carolina OT Mrazek 0 3–1–0 6 Recap 5 January 30 Dallas 1–4 Carolina Reimer 0 4–1–0 8 Recap 6 January 31 Dallas 3–4 Carolina SO Reimer 0 5–1–0 10 Recap
February: 8–5–1 (Home: 3–1–1 ; Road: 5–4–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 7 February 2 Carolina 4–3 Chicago SO Reimer 0 6–1–0 12 Recap 8 February 4 Carolina 4–6 Chicago Reimer 0 6–2–0 12 Recap 9 February 7 Carolina 6–5 Columbus Reimer 0 7–2–0 14 Recap 10 February 8 Carolina 2–3 Columbus Nedeljkovic 0 7–3–0 14 Recap 11 February 11 Carolina 5–3 Dallas Reimer 3,687 8–3–0 16 Recap 12 February 13 Carolina 4–3 Dallas SO Nedeljkovic 4,071 9–3–0 18 Recap 13 February 15 Columbus 3–7 Carolina Reimer 0 10–3–0 20 Recap 14 February 17 Florida 4–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 0 10–3–1 21 Recap 15 February 19 Chicago 3–5 Carolina Reimer 0 11–3–1 23 Recap 16 February 20 Tampa Bay 0–4 Carolina Nedeljkovic 0 12–3–1 25 Recap 17 February 22 Tampa Bay 4–2 Carolina Reimer 0 12–4–1 25 Recap 18 February 24 Carolina 0–3 Tampa Bay Nedeljkovic 500 12–5–1 25 Recap 19 February 25 Carolina 1–3 Tampa Bay Reimer 536 12–6–1 25 Recap 20 February 27 Carolina 4–3 Florida SO Reimer 4,281 13–6–1 27 Recap
March: 10–2–2 (Home: 5–0–2 ; Road: 5–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 21 March 1 Carolina 3–2 Florida OT Nedeljkovic 3,817 14–6–1 29 Recap 22 March 2 Carolina 4–2 Nashville Reimer — 15–6–1 31 Recap 23 March 4 Detroit 2–5 Carolina Nedeljkovic 2,924 16–6–1 33 Recap 24 March 7 Florida 2–4 Carolina Reimer 2,924 17–6–1 35 Recap 25 March 9 Nashville 2–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 2,924 18–6–1 37 Recap 26 March 11 Nashville 1–5 Carolina Reimer 2,924 19–6–1 39 Recap 27 March 14 Carolina 2–1 Detroit Nedeljkovic 0 20–6–1 41 Recap 28 March 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Reimer 0 20–7–1 41 Recap 29 March 18 Columbus 3–2 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 2,924 20–7–2 42 Recap 30 March 20 Columbus 3–2 Carolina SO Reimer 2,924 20–7–3 43 Recap 31 March 22 Carolina 3–0 Columbus Nedeljkovic 3,829 21–7–3 45 Recap 32 March 25 Carolina 4–3 Columbus OT Nedeljkovic 4,033 22–7–3 47 Recap 33 March 27 Tampa Bay 3–4 Carolina Reimer 4,433 23–7–3 49 Recap 34 March 30 Carolina 1–2 Chicago Nedeljkovic 0 23–8–3 49 Recap
April: 10–2–4 (Home: 6–2–1 ; Road: 4–0–3) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 35 April 1 Carolina 4–3 Chicago Reimer 0 24–8–3 51 Recap 36 April 3 Dallas 3–2 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 24–9–3 51 Recap 37 April 4 Dallas 0–1 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 25–9–3 53 Recap 38 April 6 Florida 2–5 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 26–9–3 55 Recap 39 April 8 Florida 0–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 27–9–3 57 Recap 40 April 10 Detroit 5–4 Carolina SO Mrazek 4,987 27–9–4 58 Recap 41 April 12 Detroit 3–1 Carolina Reimer 4,987 27–10–4 58 Recap 42 April 15 Nashville 1–4 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 28–10–4 60 Recap 43 April 17 Nashville 1–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 29–10–4 62 Recap 44 April 19 Carolina 2–3 Tampa Bay OT Mrazek 3,800 29–10–5 63 Recap 45 April 20 Carolina 4–1 Tampa Bay Nedeljkovic 3,800 30–10–5 65 Recap 46 April 22 Carolina 4–2 Florida Nedeljkovic 4,683 31–10–5 67 Recap 47 April 24 Carolina 3–4 Florida OT Nedeljkovic 4,838 31–10–6 68 Recap 48 April 26 Carolina 3–4 Dallas OT Reimer 5,364 31–10–7 69 Recap 49 April 27 Carolina 5–1 Dallas Nedeljkovic 6,014 32–10–7 71 Recap 50 April 29 Detroit 1–3 Carolina Reimer 4,987 33–10–7 73 Recap
May: 3–2–1 (Home: 3–0–1 ; Road: 0–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 51 May 1 Columbus 1–2 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 4,987 34–10–7 75 Recap 52 May 3 Chicago 2–5 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 35–10–7 77 Recap 53 May 4 Chicago 3–6 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 36–10–7 79 Recap 54 May 6 Chicago 2–1 Carolina OT Mrazek 4,987 36–10–8 80 Recap 55 May 8 Carolina 1–3 Nashville Nedeljkovic — 36–11–8 80 Recap 56 May 10 Carolina 0–5 Nashville Mrazek — 36–12–8 80 Recap
Legend:       Win (2 points)       Loss (0 points)       Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)       Postponement

Playoffs

Main article: 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs

2021 Stanley Cup playoffs
Central Division First Round vs. (C4) Nashville Predators: Carolina won 4–2 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 May 17 Nashville 2–5 Carolina Nedeljkovic 12,000 1–0 Recap 2 May 19 Nashville 0–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 12,000 2–0 Recap 3 May 21 Carolina 4–5 Nashville 2OT Nedeljkovic 12,135 2–1 Recap 4 May 23 Carolina 3–4 Nashville 2OT Nedeljkovic 12,135 2–2 Recap 5 May 25 Nashville 2–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 12,000 3–2 Recap 6 May 27 Carolina 4–3 Nashville OT Nedeljkovic 14,107 4–2 Recap Central Division Second Round vs. (C3) Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa Bay won 4–1 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 May 30 Tampa Bay 2–1 Carolina Nedeljkovic 16,299 0–1 Recap 2 June 1 Tampa Bay 2–1 Carolina Nedeljkovic 16,299 0–2 Recap 3 June 3 Carolina 3–2 Tampa Bay OT Mrazek 13,544 1–2 Recap 4 June 5 Carolina 4–6 Tampa Bay Mrazek 13,773 1–3 Recap 5 June 8 Tampa Bay 2–0 Carolina Nedeljkovic 16,299 1–4 Recap
Legend:       Win       Loss