The 2020–21 Boston Bruins season was the 97th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on November 1, 1924.[1] The Bruins entered the season as defending Presidents' Trophy and Atlantic Division champions. 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 Bruins played this season in the East Division , only facing opponents from within the new division in a shortened 56-game regular season, and the first two rounds of the playoffs.
On March 25, spectators were allowed back into the TD Garden with a limited capacity of 2,200. This was the first time fans were in attendance at a Bruins home game since March 7th of the previous year .[2] The capacity at the Garden was increased to 25% on May 10.[3] Starting May 29, the venue was able to host fans at full capacity.[4]
On May 3, the Bruins clinched a playoff berth after a 3–0 win against the New Jersey Devils .[5] In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Capitals in the first round in five games.[6] The Bruins would lose to the New York Islanders in the second round in six games.[7]
Divisional standings edit Source: National Hockey League
[8] 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 edit
The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.[9]
2020–21 game log January: 5–1–2 (Home: 4–0–0 ; Road: 1–1–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 January 14 Boston 3–2 New Jersey SO Rask 0 1–0–0 2 [10] 2 January 16 Boston 1–2 New Jersey OT Halak 0 1–0–1 3 [11] 3 January 18 Boston 0–1 NY Islanders Rask 0 1–1–1 3 [12] 4 January 21 Philadelphia 4–5 Boston SO Rask 0 2–1–1 5 [13] 5 January 23 Philadelphia 1–6 Boston Halak 0 3–1–1 7 [14] 6 January 26 Pittsburgh 2–3 Boston OT Rask 0 4–1–1 9 [15] 7 January 28 Pittsburgh 1–4 Boston Halak 0 5–1–1 11 [16] 8 January 30 Boston 3–4 Washington OT Rask 0 5–1–2 12 [17]
February: 7–4–0 (Home: 1–1–0 ; Road: 6–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 9 February 1 Boston 5–3 Washington Halak 0 6–1–2 14 [18] 10 February 3 Boston 4–3 Philadelphia OT Rask 0 7–1–2 16 [19] 11 February 5 Boston 2–1 Philadelphia Rask 0 8–1–2 18 [20] — February 6 Buffalo – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19 .[21] Rescheduled for March 27. — February 8 Buffalo – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for April 13. 12 February 10 Boston 3–2 NY Rangers OT Rask 0 9–1–2 20 [22] 13 February 12 Boston 1–0 NY Rangers Halak 0 10–1–2 22 [23] 14 February 13 Boston 2–4 NY Islanders Rask 0 10–2–2 22 [24] — February 15 New Jersey – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19.[25] Rescheduled for March 7.[26] 15 February 18 New Jersey 3–2 Boston Halak 0 10–3–2 22 [27] 16 February 21 Philadelphia 3–7 Boston Rask 0 (outdoors ) 11–3–2 24 [28] 17 February 25 Boston 2–7 NY Islanders Halak 0 11–4–2 24 [29] 18 February 26 Boston 2–6 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 11–5–2 24 [30] 19 February 28 Boston 4–1 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 12–5–2 26 [31]
March: 6–4–3 (Home: 4–3–2 ; Road: 2–1–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 20 March 3 Washington 2–1 Boston SO Rask 0 12–5–3 27 [32] 21 March 5 Washington 1–5 Boston Halak 0 13–5–3 29 [33] 22 March 7 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Rask 0 13–6–3 29 [34] 23 March 9 Boston 1–2 NY Islanders SO Halak 0 13–6–4 30 [35] 24 March 11 NY Rangers 0–4 Boston Halak 0 14–6–4 32 [36] 25 March 13 NY Rangers 4–0 Boston Halak 0 14–7–4 32 [37] 26 March 15 Boston 1–4 Pittsburgh Halak 2,800 14–8–4 32 [38] 27 March 16 Boston 2–1 Pittsburgh Vladar 2,800 15–8–4 34 [39] 28 March 18 Boston 4–1 Buffalo Halak 0 16–8–4 36 [40] — March 20 Boston – Buffalo Postponed due to COVID-19 .[41] Rescheduled for April 20.[42] — March 23 NY Islanders – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19.[41] Rescheduled for May 10.[42] 29 March 25 NY Islanders 4–3 Boston OT Halak 2,191 16–8–5 37 [43] 30 March 27 Buffalo 2–3 Boston Vladar 2,191 17–8–5 39 [44] 31 March 28 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Halak 2,191 17–9–5 39 [45] 32 March 30 New Jersey 4–5 Boston SO Halak 2,191 18–9–5 41 [46]
April: 11–5–1 (Home: 6–2–1 ; Road: 5–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 33 April 1 Pittsburgh 4–1 Boston Vladar 2,191 18–10–5 41 [47] 34 April 3 Pittsburgh 5–7 Boston Halak 2,191 19–10–5 43 [48] 35 April 5 Philadelphia 3–2 Boston OT Vladar 2,191 19–10–6 44 [49] 36 April 6 Boston 4–2 Philadelphia Swayman 2,638 20–10–6 46 [50] 37 April 8 Boston 4–2 Washington Swayman 0 21–10–6 48 [51] 38 April 10 Boston 2–3 Philadelphia Swayman 3,025 21–11–6 48 [52] 39 April 11 Washington 8–1 Boston Vladar 2,191 21–12–6 48 [53] 40 April 13 Buffalo 2–3 Boston SO Swayman 2,191 22–12–6 50 [54] 41 April 15 NY Islanders 1–4 Boston Rask 2,191 23–12–6 52 [55] 42 April 16 NY Islanders 0–3 Boston Swayman 2,191 24–12–6 54 [56] 43 April 18 Washington 3–6 Boston Rask 2,191 25–12–6 56 [57] 44 April 20 Boston 2–0 Buffalo Rask 0 26–12–6 58 [58] 45 April 22 Boston 5–1 Buffalo Swayman 0 27–12–6 60 [59] 46 April 23 Boston 4–6 Buffalo Halak —[a] 27–13–6 60 [60] 47 April 25 Boston 0–1 Pittsburgh Swayman 4,672 27–14–6 60 [61] 48 April 27 Boston 3–1 Pittsburgh Rask 4,672 28–14–6 62 [62] 49 April 29 Buffalo 2–5 Boston Rask 2,191 29–14–6 64 [63]
Legend : Win (2 points) Loss (0 points) Overtime/shootout loss (1 point) Postponement
2021 Stanley Cup playoffs East Division First Round vs. (E2) Washington Capitals : Boston won 4–1 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 May 15 Boston 2–3 Washington OT Rask 5,333 0–1 [71] 2 May 17 Boston 4–3 Washington OT Rask 5,333 1–1 [72] 3 May 19 Washington 2–3 Boston 2OT Rask 4,565 2–1 [73] 4 May 21 Washington 1–4 Boston Rask 4,565 3–1 [74] 5 May 23 Boston 3–1 Washington Rask 5,333 4–1 [75]
East Division Second Round vs. (E4) New York Islanders : New York won 4–2 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 May 29 NY Islanders 2–5 Boston Rask 17,400 1–0 [76] 2 May 31 NY Islanders 4–3 Boston OT Rask 17,400 1–1 [77] 3 June 3 Boston 2–1 NY Islanders OT Rask 12,000 2–1 [78] 4 June 5 Boston 1–4 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–2 [79] 5 June 7 NY Islanders 5–4 Boston Swayman 17,400 2–3 [80] 6 June 9 Boston 2–6 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–4 [81]
Legend : Win Loss
^ Spectators were in attendance, but the exact number was not reported. ^ National Hockey League (2013). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2014 . Diamond Sports Data, Inc. p. 25 . ISBN 978-1-894801-26-3 . ^ "Fans Return to TD Garden for First Time Since Start of Pandemic" . nbcboston.com . March 25, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021 .^ "Crowd Capacity Set to Increase at TD Garden, Fenway Park" . nbcboston.com . May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021 .^ "Red Sox, Bruins Can Host Fans At Full Capacity Beginning May 29" . boston.cbslocal.com . May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021 .^ "Bruins shut out Devils, clinch final playoff berth in East" . NHL.com . May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021 .^ "Bruins win Game 5, eliminate Capitals in first round" . NHL.com . May 23, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021 .^ Compton, Brian (June 9, 2021). "Islanders eliminate Bruins with Game 6 win, advance to Semifinals" . NHL.com . Retrieved June 9, 2021 . ^ "NHL Hockey Standings" . www.nhl.com . National Hockey League.^ "2020-21 NHL schedule announced" . NHL.com . December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020 .^ "Boston Bruins - New Jersey Devils - January 14th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New Jersey Devils - January 16th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - January 18th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Philadelphia Flyers - Boston Bruins - January 21st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Philadelphia Flyers - Boston Bruins - January 23rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Pittsburgh Penguins - Boston Bruins - January 26th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Pittsburgh Penguins - Boston Bruins - January 28th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - January 30th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - February 1st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Philadelphia Flyers - February 3rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Philadelphia Flyers - February 5th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Sabres games postponed through Monday due to NHL COVID-19 protocol" . NHL.com . February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021 .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Rangers - February 10th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Rangers - February 12th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - February 13th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "NHL postpones additional Devils, Sabres, Wild games due to COVID-19" . NHL.com . February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021 .^ "NHL announces updates to regular-season schedule" . NHL.com . February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021 .^ "New Jersey Devils - Boston Bruins - February 18th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Philadelphia Flyers - Boston Bruins - February 21st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - February 25th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Rangers - February 26th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Rangers - February 28th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - March 3rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - March 5th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New Jersey Devils - Boston Bruins - March 7th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - March 9th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Rangers - Boston Bruins - March 11th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Rangers - Boston Bruins - March 13th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Pittsburgh Penguins - March 15th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Pittsburgh Penguins - March 16th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabres - March 18th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ a b "Bruins have two games postponed; four players added to COVID-19 protocol" . NHL.com . March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021 .^ a b "NHL announces updates to 2020-21 regular-season schedule" . NHL.com . March 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021 .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - March 25th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Buffalo Sabres - Boston Bruins - March 27th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New Jersey Devils - Boston Bruins - March 28th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New Jersey Devils - Boston Bruins - March 30th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Pittsburgh Penguins - Boston Bruins - April 1st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Pittsburgh Penguins - Boston Bruins - April 3rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Philadelphia Flyers - Boston Bruins - April 5th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Philadelphia Flyers - April 6th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - April 8th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Philadelphia Flyers - April 10th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - April 11th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Buffalo Sabres - Boston Bruins - April 13th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - April 15th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - April 16th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - April 18th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabres - April 20th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabres - April 22nd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Buffalo Sabres - April 23rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Pittsburgh Penguins - April 25th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Pittsburgh Penguins - April 27th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Buffalo Sabres - Boston Bruins - April 29th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Buffalo Sabres - Boston Bruins - May 1st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New Jersey Devils - May 3rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New Jersey Devils - May 4th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Rangers - Boston Bruins - May 6th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Rangers - Boston Bruins - May 8th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - May 10th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - May 11th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - May 15th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - May 17th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - May 19th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Washington Capitals - Boston Bruins - May 21st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - Washington Capitals - May 23rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - May 29th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - May 31st, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - June 3rd, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - June 5th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "New York Islanders - Boston Bruins - June 7th, 2021" . NHL.com .^ "Boston Bruins - New York Islanders - June 9th, 2021" . NHL.com .