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.Carolina Hurricanes clinch top seed in Central Division as Dallas beats Lightning 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

Schedule and results

Regular season The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020. 2020–21 game logJanuary: 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:

Playoffs

2021 Stanley Cup playoffsCentral 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:

Notes

References