2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning season
The 2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 29th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on December 16, 1991. The Lightning entered the season as the defending Stanley Cup champions. In a joint announcement from the NHL and NHLPA on October 6, 2020, a target date of January 1, 2021 was set for the start of the season. It was reported December 18, 2020 that the two parties had tentatively agreed to a 56-game season scheduled to begin on January 13, 2021.
| 2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|
Stanley Cup champions | |
| Division | 3rd Central |
| 2020–21 record | 36–17–3 |
| Home record | 21–7–0 |
| Road record | 15–10–3 |
| Goals for | 181 |
| Goals against | 147 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Julien BriseBois |
| Coach | Jon Cooper |
| Captain | Steven Stamkos |
| Alternate captains | Victor Hedman Alex Killorn Ryan McDonagh |
| Arena | Amalie Arena |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Syracuse Crunch (AHL) Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Brayden Point (23) |
| Assists | Victor Hedman (36) |
| Points | Brayden Point (48) |
| Penalty minutes | Patrick Maroon (60) |
| Plus/minus | Barclay Goodrow (+16) |
| Wins | Andrei Vasilevskiy (31) |
| Goals against average | Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.21) |
Because the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing prior to the season, as part of the league's return to play protocols, the divisions were realigned and the Lightning were put into the Central Division. This new configuration retained Chicago, Dallas, and Nashville, while it added Detroit and Florida from the Atlantic Division, as well as Carolina and Columbus from the Metropolitan Division. The regular season schedule was announced on December 23, 2020. Opponents in each game during the regular season and potentially the first two rounds of the playoffs are from within the new division.
The Lightning entered the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs as the defending Stanley Cup champions and the third seed in the Central Division. In the first round, the Lightning defeated their in-state rival the Florida Panthers in six games. They went on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in five games to earn a spot in the Semifinals, where they defeated the New York Islanders in seven games to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive season. Tampa Bay would then repeat as champions in five games against the Montreal Canadiens.