The 2020–21 Boston Bruins season was the 97th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) 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 7 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

Schedule and results

Regular season The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020. 2020–21 game logJanuary: 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 2 January 16 Boston 1–2 New Jersey OT Halak 0 1–0–1 3 3 January 18 Boston 0–1 NY Islanders Rask 0 1–1–1 3 4 January 21 Philadelphia 4–5 Boston SO Rask 0 2–1–1 5 5 January 23 Philadelphia 1–6 Boston Halak 0 3–1–1 7 6 January 26 Pittsburgh 2–3 Boston OT Rask 0 4–1–1 9 7 January 28 Pittsburgh 1–4 Boston Halak 0 5–1–1 11 8 January 30 Boston 3–4 Washington OT Rask 0 5–1–2 12 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 10 February 3 Boston 4–3 Philadelphia OT Rask 0 7–1–2 16 11 February 5 Boston 2–1 Philadelphia Rask 0 8–1–2 18 — 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 13 February 12 Boston 1–0 NY Rangers Halak 0 10–1–2 22 14 February 13 Boston 2–4 NY Islanders Rask 0 10–2–2 22 — 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 16 February 21 Philadelphia 3–7 Boston Rask 0(outdoors) 11–3–2 24 17 February 25 Boston 2–7 NY Islanders Halak 0 11–4–2 24 18 February 26 Boston 2–6 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 11–5–2 24 19 February 28 Boston 4–1 NY Rangers Rask 1,800 12–5–2 26 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 21 March 5 Washington 1–5 Boston Halak 0 13–5–3 29 22 March 7 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Rask 0 13–6–3 29 23 March 9 Boston 1–2 NY Islanders SO Halak 0 13–6–4 30 24 March 11 NY Rangers 0–4 Boston Halak 0 14–6–4 32 25 March 13 NY Rangers 4–0 Boston Halak 0 14–7–4 32 26 March 15 Boston 1–4 Pittsburgh Halak 2,800 14–8–4 32 27 March 16 Boston 2–1 Pittsburgh Vladar 2,800 15–8–4 34 28 March 18 Boston 4–1 Buffalo Halak 0 16–8–4 36 — 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 30 March 27 Buffalo 2–3 Boston Vladar 2,191 17–8–5 39 31 March 28 New Jersey 1–0 Boston Halak 2,191 17–9–5 39 32 March 30 New Jersey 4–5 Boston SO Halak 2,191 18–9–5 41 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 34 April 3 Pittsburgh 5–7 Boston Halak 2,191 19–10–5 43 35 April 5 Philadelphia 3–2 Boston OT Vladar 2,191 19–10–6 44 36 April 6 Boston 4–2 Philadelphia Swayman 2,638 20–10–6 46 37 April 8 Boston 4–2 Washington Swayman 0 21–10–6 48 38 April 10 Boston 2–3 Philadelphia Swayman 3,025 21–11–6 48 39 April 11 Washington 8–1 Boston Vladar 2,191 21–12–6 48 40 April 13 Buffalo 2–3 Boston SO Swayman 2,191 22–12–6 50 41 April 15 NY Islanders 1–4 Boston Rask 2,191 23–12–6 52 42 April 16 NY Islanders 0–3 Boston Swayman 2,191 24–12–6 54 43 April 18 Washington 3–6 Boston Rask 2,191 25–12–6 56 44 April 20 Boston 2–0 Buffalo Rask 0 26–12–6 58 45 April 22 Boston 5–1 Buffalo Swayman 0 27–12–6 60 46 April 23 Boston 4–6 Buffalo Halak — 27–13–6 60 47 April 25 Boston 0–1 Pittsburgh Swayman 4,672 27–14–6 60 48 April 27 Boston 3–1 Pittsburgh Rask 4,672 28–14–6 62 49 April 29 Buffalo 2–5 Boston Rask 2,191 29–14–6 64 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 51 May 3 Boston 3–0 New Jersey Rask 3,600 31–14–6 68 52 May 4 Boston 3–4 New Jersey OT Halak 3,600 31–14–7 69 53 May 6 NY Rangers 0–4 Boston Swayman 2,191 32–14–7 71 54 May 8 NY Rangers 5–4 Boston Rask 2,191 32–15–7 71 55 May 10 NY Islanders 2–3 Boston OT Rask 4,565 33–15–7 73 56 May 11 Boston 1–2 Washington Swayman 2,133 33–16–7 73 Legend:

Playoffs

2021 Stanley Cup playoffsEast 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 2 May 17 Boston 4–3 Washington OT Rask 5,333 1–1 3 May 19 Washington 2–3 Boston 2OT Rask 4,565 2–1 4 May 21 Washington 1–4 Boston Rask 4,565 3–1 5 May 23 Boston 3–1 Washington Rask 5,333 4–1 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 2 May 31 NY Islanders 4–3 Boston OT Rask 17,400 1–1 3 June 3 Boston 2–1 NY Islanders OT Rask 12,000 2–1 4 June 5 Boston 1–4 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–2 5 June 7 NY Islanders 5–4 Boston Swayman 17,400 2–3 6 June 9 Boston 2–6 NY Islanders Rask 12,000 2–4 Legend:

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 Center 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)258 Mason Lohrei D United States Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)389 Trevor Kuntar C United States Boston College (H-East)5151 Mason Langenbrunner D United States Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)6182 Riley Duran C United States Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)

Notes

References