2020–21 Boston Bruins season

2020–21 Boston Bruins
Division	3rd East
2020–21 record	33–16–7
Home record	18–7–3
Road record	15–9–4
Goals for	168
Goals against	136
Team information
General manager	Don Sweeney
Coach	Bruce Cassidy
Captain	Patrice Bergeron
Alternate captains	David Krejci Brad Marchand
Arena	TD Garden
Minor league affiliate(s)	Providence Bruins (AHL) Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Brad Marchand (29)
Assists	Brad Marchand (40)
Points	Brad Marchand (69)
Penalty minutes	Trent Frederic (65)
Plus/minus	Patrice Bergeron (+27)
Wins	Tuukka Rask (15)
Goals against average	Jeremy Swayman (1.50)

The 2020–21 Boston Bruins season was the 97th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on November 1, 1924. 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. The capacity at the Garden was increased to 25% on May 10. Starting May 29, the venue was able to host fans at full capacity.

On May 3, the Bruins clinched a playoff berth after a 3–0 win against the New Jersey Devils. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Capitals in the First Round in five games. The Bruins would lose to the New York Islanders in the Second Round in six games.

Standings

Divisional standings

East Division

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	RW	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	y – Pittsburgh Penguins	56	37	16	3	29	196	156	+40	77
2	x – Washington Capitals	56	36	15	5	29	191	163	+28	77
3	x – Boston Bruins	56	33	16	7	25	168	136	+32	73
4	x – New York Islanders	56	32	17	7	24	156	128	+28	71
5	e – New York Rangers	56	27	23	6	24	177	157	+20	60
6	e – Philadelphia Flyers	56	25	23	8	17	163	201	−38	58
7	e – New Jersey Devils	56	19	30	7	15	145	194	−49	45
8	e – Buffalo Sabres	56	15	34	7	11	138	199	−61	37

Schedule and results

Regular season

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

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 Recap 2 January 16 Boston 1–2 New Jersey OT Halak 0 1–0–1 3 Recap 3 January 18 Boston 0–1 NY Islanders Rask 0 1–1–1 3 Recap 4 January 21 Philadelphia 4–5 Boston SO Rask 0 2–1–1 5 Recap 5 January 23 Philadelphia 1–6 Boston Halak 0 3–1–1 7 Recap 6 January 26 Pittsburgh 2–3 Boston OT Rask 0 4–1–1 9 Recap 7 January 28 Pittsburgh 1–4 Boston Halak 0 5–1–1 11 Recap 8 January 30 Boston 3–4 Washington OT Rask 0 5–1–2 12 Recap
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 Recap 10 February 3 Boston 4–3 Philadelphia OT Rask 0 7–1–2 16 Recap 11 February 5 Boston 2–1 Philadelphia Rask 0 8–1–2 18 Recap — February 6 Buffalo – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19. 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 Recap 13 February 12 Boston 1–0 NY Rangers Halak 0 10–1–2 22 Recap 14 February 13 Boston 2–4 NY Islanders Rask 0 10–2–2 22 Recap — February 15 New Jersey – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for March 7. 15 February 18 New Jersey 3–2 Boston Halak 0 10–3–2 22 Recap 16 February 21 Philadelphia 3–7 Boston Rask 0 11–3–2 24 Recap 17 February 25 Boston 2–7 NY Islanders Halak 0 11–4–2 24 Recap 18 February 26 Boston 2–6 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 11–5–2 24 Recap 19 February 28 Boston 4–1 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 12–5–2 26 Recap
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 Recap 21 March 5 Washington 1–5 Boston Halak 0 13–5–3 29 Recap 22 March 7 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Rask 0 13–6–3 29 Recap 23 March 9 Boston 1–2 NY Islanders SO Halak 0 13–6–4 30 Recap 24 March 11 NY Rangers 0–4 Boston Halak 0 14–6–4 32 Recap 25 March 13 NY Rangers 4–0 Boston Halak 0 14–7–4 32 Recap 26 March 15 Boston 1–4 Pittsburgh Halak 2,800 14–8–4 32 Recap 27 March 16 Boston 2–1 Pittsburgh Vladar 2,800 15–8–4 34 Recap 28 March 18 Boston 4–1 Buffalo Halak 0 16–8–4 36 Recap — March 20 Boston – Buffalo Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for April 20. — March 23 NY Islanders – Boston Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 10. 29 March 25 NY Islanders 4–3 Boston OT Halak 2,191 16–8–5 37 Recap 30 March 27 Buffalo 2–3 Boston Vladar 2,191 17–8–5 39 Recap 31 March 28 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Halak 2,191 17–9–5 39 Recap 32 March 30 New Jersey 4–5 Boston SO Halak 2,191 18–9–5 41 Recap
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 Recap 34 April 3 Pittsburgh 5–7 Boston Halak 2,191 19–10–5 43 Recap 35 April 5 Philadelphia 3–2 Boston OT Vladar 2,191 19–10–6 44 Recap 36 April 6 Boston 4–2 Philadelphia Swayman 2,638 20–10–6 46 Recap 37 April 8 Boston 4–2 Washington Swayman 0 21–10–6 48 Recap 38 April 10 Boston 2–3 Philadelphia Swayman 3,025 21–11–6 48 Recap 39 April 11 Washington 8–1 Boston Vladar 2,191 21–12–6 48 Recap 40 April 13 Buffalo 2–3 Boston SO Swayman 2,191 22–12–6 50 Recap 41 April 15 NY Islanders 1–4 Boston Rask 2,191 23–12–6 52 Recap 42 April 16 NY Islanders 0–3 Boston Swayman 2,191 24–12–6 54 Recap 43 April 18 Washington 3–6 Boston Rask 2,191 25–12–6 56 Recap 44 April 20 Boston 2–0 Buffalo Rask 0 26–12–6 58 Recap 45 April 22 Boston 5–1 Buffalo Swayman 0 27–12–6 60 Recap 46 April 23 Boston 4–6 Buffalo Halak — 27–13–6 60 Recap 47 April 25 Boston 0–1 Pittsburgh Swayman 4,672 27–14–6 60 Recap 48 April 27 Boston 3–1 Pittsburgh Rask 4,672 28–14–6 62 Recap 49 April 29 Buffalo 2–5 Boston Rask 2,191 29–14–6 64 Recap
May: 4–2–1 (Home: 3–1–0 ; Road: 1–1–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 50 May 1 Buffalo 2–6 Boston Swayman 2,191 30–14–6 66 Recap 51 May 3 Boston 3–0 New Jersey Rask 3,600 31–14–6 68 Recap 52 May 4 Boston 3–4 New Jersey OT Halak 3,600 31–14–7 69 Recap 53 May 6 NY Rangers 0–4 Boston Swayman 2,191 32–14–7 71 Recap 54 May 8 NY Rangers 5–4 Boston Rask 2,191 32–15–7 71 Recap 55 May 10 NY Islanders 2–3 Boston OT Rask 4,565 33–15–7 73 Recap 56 May 11 Boston 1–2 Washington Swayman 2,133 33–16–7 73 Recap
Legend:       Win (2 points)       Loss (0 points)       Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)       Postponement

Playoffs

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 Recap 2 May 17 Boston 4–3 Washington OT Rask 5,333 1–1 Recap 3 May 19 Washington 2–3 Boston 2OT Rask 4,565 2–1 Recap 4 May 21 Washington 1–4 Boston Rask 4,565 3–1 Recap 5 May 23 Boston 3–1 Washington Rask 5,333 4–1 Recap 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 Recap 2 May 31 NY Islanders 4–3 Boston OT Rask 17,400 1–1 Recap 3 June 3 Boston 2–1 NY Islanders OT Rask 12,000 2–1 Recap 4 June 5 Boston 1–4 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–2 Recap 5 June 7 NY Islanders 5–4 Boston Swayman 17,400 2–3 Recap 6 June 9 Boston 2–6 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–4 Recap
Legend:       Win       Loss

Draft picks

See also: List of Boston Bruins draft picks

Below are the Boston Bruins' selections at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled draft was held October 6–7, 2020 virtually via Video conference call from the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Round	#	Player	Pos	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team (League)
2	58	Mason Lohrei	D	United States	Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
3	89	Trevor Kuntar	C	United States	Boston College (H-East)
5	151	Mason Langenbrunner	D	United States	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)
6	182	Riley Duran	C	United States	Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)