2020–21 Montreal Canadiens season
The 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens season was the 112th for the club that was established on December 4, 1909, and their 104th season as a franchise in the National Hockey League.
| 2020–21 Montreal Canadiens | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th North |
| 2020–21 record | 24–21–11 |
| Home record | 13–11–4 |
| Road record | 11–10–7 |
| Goals for | 159 |
| Goals against | 168 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Marc Bergevin |
| Coach | Claude Julien (Jan. 13 – Feb. 24) Dominique Ducharme (interim, Feb. 24 – Jul. 7) |
| Captain | Shea Weber |
| Alternate captains | Paul Byron Brendan Gallagher |
| Arena | Bell Centre |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Laval Rocket (AHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Tyler Toffoli (28) |
| Assists | Jeff Petry (30) |
| Points | Tyler Toffoli (44) |
| Penalty minutes | Ben Chiarot (50) |
| Plus/minus | Joel Edmundson (+28) |
| Wins | Carey Price (12) |
| Goals against average | Carey Price (2.64) |
Due to the Canada–U.S. border restrictions brought in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadiens were re-aligned with the other six Canadian franchises into the newly-formed North Division. The league's 56 game season was played entirely within the new divisions, meaning that Montreal and the other Canadian teams played an all-Canadian schedule for the 2020–21 regular season as well as the first two rounds of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
On May 10, 2021, the Canadiens clinched a playoff berth after a 4–3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. In the first round, the Canadiens successfully overcame a 3–1 series deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games. In the second round, the Canadiens swept the Winnipeg Jets in four games. Since they were the lowest-remaining team from the second round, they played against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals, defeating them in six games. The Canadiens won the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993, subsequently ending a 10-year Canadian team Finals appearance drought, the Vancouver Canucks (in 2011) being the previous team to reach such juncture. In the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Canadiens lost the first three games of the series, finally earning a win in game four. However, the Canadiens were defeated in five games.