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
Minor league affiliate(s)	Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Sebastian Aho (24)
Assists	Sebastian Aho (33)
Points	Sebastian Aho (57)
Penalty minutes	Andrei Svechnikov (44)
Plus/minus	Martin Necas (+25)
Wins	Alex Nedeljkovic and James Reimer (15)
Goals against average	Alex Nedeljkovic (1.90)

The 2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes season was the 42nd season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established in June 1979, and 23rd 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

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

Source: National Hockey League
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
e – Eliminated from playoff contention; x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division

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 2 January 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Mrazek 0 1–1–0 2 3 January 18 Carolina 4–2 Nashville Reimer 0 2–1–0 4 — 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 5 January 30 Dallas 1–4 Carolina Reimer 0 4–1–0 8 6 January 31 Dallas 3–4 Carolina SO Reimer 0 5–1–0 10
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 8 February 4 Carolina 4–6 Chicago Reimer 0 6–2–0 12 9 February 7 Carolina 6–5 Columbus Reimer 0 7–2–0 14 10 February 8 Carolina 2–3 Columbus Nedeljkovic 0 7–3–0 14 11 February 11 Carolina 5–3 Dallas Reimer 3,687 8–3–0 16 12 February 13 Carolina 4–3 Dallas SO Nedeljkovic 4,071 9–3–0 18 13 February 15 Columbus 3–7 Carolina Reimer 0 10–3–0 20 14 February 17 Florida 4–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 0 10–3–1 21 15 February 19 Chicago 3–5 Carolina Reimer 0 11–3–1 23 16 February 20 Tampa Bay 0–4 Carolina Nedeljkovic 0 12–3–1 25 17 February 22 Tampa Bay 4–2 Carolina Reimer 0 12–4–1 25 18 February 24 Carolina 0–3 Tampa Bay Nedeljkovic 500 12–5–1 25 19 February 25 Carolina 1–3 Tampa Bay Reimer 536 12–6–1 25 20 February 27 Carolina 4–3 Florida SO Reimer 4,281 13–6–1 27
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 22 March 2 Carolina 4–2 Nashville Reimer — 15–6–1 31 23 March 4 Detroit 2–5 Carolina Nedeljkovic 2,924 16–6–1 33 24 March 7 Florida 2–4 Carolina Reimer 2,924 17–6–1 35 25 March 9 Nashville 2–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 2,924 18–6–1 37 26 March 11 Nashville 1–5 Carolina Reimer 2,924 19–6–1 39 27 March 14 Carolina 2–1 Detroit Nedeljkovic 0 20–6–1 41 28 March 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Reimer 0 20–7–1 41 29 March 18 Columbus 3–2 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 2,924 20–7–2 42 30 March 20 Columbus 3–2 Carolina SO Reimer 2,924 20–7–3 43 31 March 22 Carolina 3–0 Columbus Nedeljkovic 3,829 21–7–3 45 32 March 25 Carolina 4–3 Columbus OT Nedeljkovic 4,033 22–7–3 47 33 March 27 Tampa Bay 3–4 Carolina Reimer 4,433 23–7–3 49 34 March 30 Carolina 1–2 Chicago Nedeljkovic 0 23–8–3 49
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 36 April 3 Dallas 3–2 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 24–9–3 51 37 April 4 Dallas 0–1 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 25–9–3 53 38 April 6 Florida 2–5 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 26–9–3 55 39 April 8 Florida 0–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 27–9–3 57 40 April 10 Detroit 5–4 Carolina SO Mrazek 4,987 27–9–4 58 41 April 12 Detroit 3–1 Carolina Reimer 4,987 27–10–4 58 42 April 15 Nashville 1–4 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 28–10–4 60 43 April 17 Nashville 1–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 29–10–4 62 44 April 19 Carolina 2–3 Tampa Bay OT Mrazek 3,800 29–10–5 63 45 April 20 Carolina 4–1 Tampa Bay Nedeljkovic 3,800 30–10–5 65 46 April 22 Carolina 4–2 Florida Nedeljkovic 4,683 31–10–5 67 47 April 24 Carolina 3–4 Florida OT Nedeljkovic 4,838 31–10–6 68 48 April 26 Carolina 3–4 Dallas OT Reimer 5,364 31–10–7 69 49 April 27 Carolina 5–1 Dallas Nedeljkovic 6,014 32–10–7 71 50 April 29 Detroit 1–3 Carolina Reimer 4,987 33–10–7 73
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 52 May 3 Chicago 2–5 Carolina Nedeljkovic 4,987 35–10–7 77 53 May 4 Chicago 3–6 Carolina Mrazek 4,987 36–10–7 79 54 May 6 Chicago 2–1 Carolina OT Mrazek 4,987 36–10–8 80 55 May 8 Carolina 1–3 Nashville Nedeljkovic — 36–11–8 80 56 May 10 Carolina 0–5 Nashville Mrazek — 36–12–8 80
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 2 May 19 Nashville 0–3 Carolina Nedeljkovic 12,000 2–0 3 May 21 Carolina 4–5 Nashville 2OT Nedeljkovic 12,135 2–1 4 May 23 Carolina 3–4 Nashville 2OT Nedeljkovic 12,135 2–2 5 May 25 Nashville 2–3 Carolina OT Nedeljkovic 12,000 3–2 6 May 27 Carolina 4–3 Nashville OT Nedeljkovic 14,107 4–2 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 2 June 1 Tampa Bay 2–1 Carolina Nedeljkovic 16,299 0–2 3 June 3 Carolina 3–2 Tampa Bay OT Mrazek 13,544 1–2 4 June 5 Carolina 4–6 Tampa Bay Mrazek 13,773 1–3 5 June 8 Tampa Bay 2–0 Carolina Nedeljkovic 16,299 1–4
Legend:   Win   Loss