2020–21 Pittsburgh Penguins season explained

Season:	2020–21
League:	NHL
Year:	2020
Team:	Pittsburgh Penguins
Division:	East
Divisionrank:	1st
Record:	37–16–3
Homerecord:	22–4–2
Roadrecord:	15–12–1
Goalsfor:	196
Goalsagainst:	156
Generalmanager:	Jim Rutherford (Jan. 13 – Jan. 27) Patrik Allvin^[1] (interim, Jan. 27 – Feb. 9) Ron Hextall (Feb. 9 – May 26)
Coach:	Mike Sullivan
Captain:	Sidney Crosby
Altcaptain:	Kris Letang Evgeni Malkin
Arena:	PPG Paints Arena
Minorleague:	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Goalsleader:	Sidney Crosby (24)
Assistsleader:	Sidney Crosby Kris Letang (38)
Pointsleader:	Sidney Crosby (62)
Plusminusleader:	Kris Letang (+19)
Pimleader:	Kris Letang (32)
Winsleader:	Tristan Jarry (25)
Gaaleader:	Casey DeSmith (2.54)
Divisionwin:	yes

The 2020–21 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the 54th season for the National Hockey League team that was established on June 5, 1967.^[2] 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 Penguins would play this season in the East Division and would only play against the other teams in their new division during the regular season and potentially the first two rounds of the playoffs.

On April 29, 2021, the Penguins clinched a playoff berth with a 5–4 overtime win over the Washington Capitals, extending their playoff streak to 15 seasons – the longest active streak among the four North American major leagues, after the San Antonio Spurs of National Basketball Association missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. (including MLB, the NFL, and the NBA).^[3] On May 8, the team clinched the East Division title after defeating the Buffalo Sabres 1-0, for their first division championship since the 2013–14 season.^[4] The Penguins were then defeated in the First Round in six games by the New York Islanders.^[5] On April 20, 2021, the Penguins barreled through the first two periods en route to a 6-0 lead at the end of the second period. The Devils outscored them 6-1 in the third period, but the Penguins still won, 7-6. The Penguins became the first team in NHL history to be outscored by 5 goals in the third period of a game but still be on the winning end.

Standings

Divisional standings

Schedule and results

Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.^[6] |- style="background:#fcf;"| 1 || January 13 || Pittsburgh || 3–6 || Philadelphia || Jarry || 0 || 0–1–0 || 0|- style="background:#fcf;"| 2 || January 15 || Pittsburgh || 2–5 || Philadelphia || Jarry || 0 || 0–2–0 || 0|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3 || January 17 || Washington || 3–4 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 0 || 1–2–0 || 2|- style="background:#cfc;"| 4 || January 19 || Washington || 4–5 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 0 || 2–2–0 || 4|- style="background:#cfc;"| 5 || January 22 || NY Rangers || 3–4 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 3–2–0 || 6|- style="background:#cfc;"| 6 || January 24 || NY Rangers || 2–3 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 4–2–0 || 8|- style="background:#ffc;"| 7 || January 26 || Pittsburgh || 2–3 || Boston || Jarry || 0 || 4–2–1 || 9 |- style="background:#fcf;"| 8 || January 28 || Pittsburgh || 1–4 || Boston || Jarry || 0 || 4–3–1 || 9|- style="background:#cfc;"| 9 || January 30 || Pittsburgh || 5–4 || NY Rangers || DeSmith || 0 || 5–3–1 || 11|-|- style="background:#fcf;"| 10 || February 1 || Pittsburgh || 1–3 || NY Rangers || DeSmith || 0 || 5–4–1 || 11|- style="background:#ccc;"| — || February 2 || New Jersey || – || Pittsburgh || colspan="4"|Postponed due to COVID-19.^[7] Rescheduled for March 21.|- style="background:#ccc;"| — || February 4 || New Jersey || – || Pittsburgh || colspan="4"|Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for April 20.|- style="background:#fcf;"| 11 || February 6 || Pittsburgh || 3–4 || NY Islanders || Jarry || 0 || 5–5–1 || 11|- style="background:#cfc;"| 12 || February 11 || Pittsburgh || 4–3 || NY Islanders || DeSmith || 0 || 6–5–1 || 13 |- style="background:#cfc;"| 13 || February 14 || Washington || 3–6 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 7–5–1 || 15|- style="background:#fcf;"| 14 || February 16 || Washington || 3–1 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 7–6–1 || 15|- style="background:#cfc;"| 15 || February 18 || NY Islanders || 1–4 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 8–6–1 || 17|- style="background:#cfc;"| 16 || February 20 || NY Islanders || 2–3 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 0 || 9–6–1 || 19|- style="background:#cfc;"| 17 || February 23 || Pittsburgh || 3–2 || Washington || Jarry || 0 || 10–6–1 || 21|- style="background:#fcf;"| 18 || February 25 || Pittsburgh || 2–5 || Washington || Jarry || 0 || 10–7–1 || 21|- style="background:#cfc;"| 19 || February 27 || Pittsburgh || 4–3 || NY Islanders || Jarry || 0 || 11–7–1 || 23|- style="background:#fcf;"| 20 || February 28 || Pittsburgh || 0–2 || NY Islanders || DeSmith || 0 || 11–8–1 || 23|-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 21 || March 2 || Philadelphia || 2–5 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 12–8–1 || 25|- style="background:#fcf;"| 22 || March 4 || Philadelphia || 4–3 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 12–9–1 || 25|- style="background:#cfc;"| 23 || March 6 || Philadelphia || 3–4 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 13–9–1 || 27|- style="background:#cfc;"| 24 || March 7 || NY Rangers || 1–5 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 2,800 || 14–9–1 || 29|- style="background:#cfc;"| 25 || March 9 || NY Rangers || 2–4 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 15–9–1 || 31|- style="background:#cfc;"| 26 || March 11 || Pittsburgh || 5–2 || Buffalo || Jarry || 0 || 16–9–1 || 33|- style="background:#cfc;"| 27 || March 13 || Pittsburgh || 3–0 || Buffalo || DeSmith || 0 || 17–9–1 || 35|- style="background:#cfc;"| 28 || March 15 || Boston || 1–4 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 18–9–1 || 37|- style="background:#fcf;"| 29 || March 16 || Boston || 2–1 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 2,800 || 18–10–1 || 37|- style="background:#fcf;"| 30 || March 18 || Pittsburgh || 2–3 || New Jersey || Jarry || 1,800 || 18–11–1 || 37|- style="background:#cfc;"| 31 || March 20 || Pittsburgh || 3–1 || New Jersey || DeSmith || 1,800 || 19–11–1 || 39|- style="background:#ffc;"| 32 || March 21 || New Jersey || 2–1 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 19–11–2 || 40|- style="background:#cfc;"| 33 || March 24 || Buffalo || 2–5 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 20–11–2 || 42|- style="background:#cfc;"| 34 || March 25 || Buffalo || 0–4 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 2,800 || 21–11–2 || 44|- style="background:#cfc;"| 35 || March 27 || NY Islanders || 3–6 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 22–11–2 || 46|- style="background:#cfc;"| 36 || March 29 || NY Islanders || 1–2 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 2,800 || 23–11–2 || 48|-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 37 || April 1 || Pittsburgh || 4–1 || Boston || DeSmith || 2,191 || 24–11–2 || 50|- style="background:#fcf;"| 38 || April 3 || Pittsburgh || 5–7 || Boston || DeSmith || 2,191 || 24–12–2 || 50|- style="background:#fcf;"| 39 || April 6 || Pittsburgh || 4–8 || NY Rangers || DeSmith || 1,693 || 24–13–2 || 50|- style="background:#cfc;"| 40 || April 8 || Pittsburgh || 5–2 || NY Rangers || Jarry || 1,800 || 25–13–2 || 52|- style="background:#cfc;"| 41 || April 9 || Pittsburgh || 6–4 || New Jersey || DeSmith || 3,600 || 26–13–2 || 54|- style="background:#cfc;"| 42 || April 11 || Pittsburgh || 5–2 || New Jersey || Jarry || 3,600 || 27–13–2 || 56|- style="background:#ffc;"| 43 || April 15 || Philadelphia || 2–1 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 27–13–3 || 57|- style="background:#cfc;"| 44 || April 17 || Pittsburgh || 3–2 || Buffalo || Jarry || — || 28–13–3 || 59|- style="background:#fcf;"| 45 || April 18 || Pittsburgh || 2–4 || Buffalo || DeSmith || 0 || 28–14–3 || 59|- style="background:#cfc;"| 46 || April 20 || New Jersey || 6–7 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 29–14–3 || 61|- style="background:#cfc;"| 47 || April 22 || New Jersey || 1–5 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 30–14–3 || 63|- style="background:#cfc;"| 48 || April 24 || New Jersey || 2–4 || Pittsburgh || DeSmith || 4,672 || 31–14–3 || 65|- style="background:#cfc;"| 49 || April 25 || Boston || 0–1 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 32–14–3 || 67|- style="background:#fcf;"| 50 || April 27 || Boston || 3–1 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 32–15–3 || 67|- style="background:#cfc;"| 51 || April 29 || Pittsburgh || 5–4 || Washington || Jarry || 2,133 || 33–15–3 || 69|-|- style="background:#cfc;"| 52 || May 1 || Pittsburgh || 3–0 || Washington || Jarry || 2,133 || 34–15–3 || 71|- style="background:#fcf;"| 53 || May 3 || Pittsburgh || 2–7 || Philadelphia || DeSmith || 2,542 || 34–16–3 || 71|- style="background:#cfc;"| 54 || May 4 || Pittsburgh || 7–3 || Philadelphia || Jarry || 2,961 || 35–16–3 || 73|- style="background:#cfc;"| 55 || May 6 || Buffalo || 4–8 || Pittsburgh || Jarry || 4,672 || 36–16–3 || 75|- style="background:#cfc;"| 56 || May 8 || Buffalo || 0–1 || Pittsburgh || Lagace || 4,672 || 37–16–3 || 77|-|- style="text-align:center;"| Legend: = Win = Loss = OT/SO Loss = Postponement

Playoffs

See main article: 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. |- style="background:#fcf;"| 1 || May 16 || NY Islanders || 4–3 || Pittsburgh || OT || Jarry || 4,672 || 0–1 || Recap|- style="background:#cfc;"| 2 || May 18 || NY Islanders || 1–2 || Pittsburgh || || Jarry || 9,344 || 1–1 || Recap|- style="background:#cfc;"| 3 || May 20 || Pittsburgh || 5–4 || NY Islanders || || Jarry || 6,800 || 2–1 || Recap|- style="background:#fcf;"| 4 || May 22 || Pittsburgh || 1–4 || NY Islanders || || Jarry || 6,800 || 2–2 || Recap|- style="background:#fcf;"| 5 || May 24 || NY Islanders || 3–2 || Pittsburgh || 2OT || Jarry || 9,344 || 2–3 || Recap|- style="background:#fcf;"| 6 || May 26 || Pittsburgh || 3–5 || NY Islanders || || Jarry || 9,000 || 2–4 || Recap |-|-| Legend: = Win = Loss

Player statistics

Skaters

Regular Season^[8]
Player					data-sort-type="number"
	55	24	38	62	8	26
	56	23	34	57	7	28
	55	7	38	45	19	32
	56	22	20	42	9	18
	43	14	18	32	17	8
	40	11	19	30	15	7
	33	8	20	28	-4	24
	43	7	15	22	10	16
	38	9	9	18	-8	21
	53	4	13	17	18	10
	32	7	9	16	12	22
	44	5	11	16	9	28
	45	9	6	15	10	15
	35	7	7	14	-3	6
	41	4	10	14	18	12
	52	3	10	13	5	8
^†	14	9	2	11	9	0
	45	4	7	11	4	6
	46	5	5	10	0	2
	19	2	8	10	10	2
	47	2	7	9	8	22
	34	0	6	6	-6	25
	16	1	4	5	1	6
	19	2	2	4	4	8
	8	2	2	4	4	4
^†	5	2	1	3	3	5
	17	0	2	2	3	14
	10	0	1	1	-2	2
	2	0	0	0	-3	0
	1	0	0	0	0	0
	2	0	0	0	-3	0
	2	0	0	0	0	0
Total		193	324	517	—	377

Playoffs^[9]
Player					data-sort-type="number"
	6	1	5	6	-2	6
	6	4	1	5	0	4
	4	1	4	5	-2	8
	6	2	1	3	-1	2
	6	2	1	3	-3	4
	6	1	2	3	3	2
	6	1	2	3	-3	0
	6	1	1	2	-2	2
	6	1	1	2	-6	6
	6	1	1	2	0	2
	6	0	2	2	-1	2
	6	0	2	2	-3	0
	6	1	0	1	-2	0
	6	0	1	1	1	2
	6	0	1	1	-1	0
	2	0	1	1	1	0
	6	0	0	0	-2	0
	6	0	0	0	-2	2
	6	0	0	0	-1	6
Total		16	26	42	—	48

Goaltenders

Regular Season^[10]
Player
	39	38	2185:18	25	9	3	100	2.75	1100	0.909	2	4	8
	20	17	1132:19	11	7	0	48	2.54	543	0.912	2	1	0
	1	1	60:00	1	0	0	0	0	29	1.000	1	0	0
Total		56	3377:37	37	16	3	148	2.63	1672	0.911	5	5	8

Playoffs^[11]
Player
	6	6	396:07	2	4	0	21	3.18	187	0.888	0	0	0	0
Total		6	396:07	2	4	0	21	3.18	187	0.888	0	0	0	0

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
^‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.

Awards and records

Sidney Crosby became the first person to play 1,000 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He set the mark in a game against the New York Islanders on February 20.

Transactions

The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 2020–21 season.

Trades

Draft picks

See also: List of Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks. Below are the Pittsburgh Penguins' 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. It was instead held on 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	52	Joel Blomqvist	G	Finland	Oulun Kärpät U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
3	77	Calle Clang	G	Sweden	Kristianstads IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
4	108	Lukas Svejkovsky	C	United States	Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
6	170	Chase Yoder	C	United States	U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Notes and References

Web site: Jim Rutherford Resigns as GM; Patrik Allvin Named Interim GM . NHL.com . January 27, 2021 . January 27, 2021.
Web site: Stainkamp . Michael . A brief history: Pittsburgh Penguins . NHL.com . June 20, 2018 . August 25, 2010.
Web site: Penguins, Capitals each clinch playoff berth in OT game . NHL.com . April 29, 2021 . April 29, 2021.
Web site: 2021-05-08 . Penguins Clinch East Division Title . 2021-05-08 . NHL.com.
Web site: Islanders defeat Penguins in Game 6, win first-round series . NHL.com . June 2, 2021 . May 27, 2021.
Web site: 2020-21 NHL schedule announced . NHL.com . December 26, 2020 . December 23, 2020.
Web site: Devils games postponed through at least Saturday because of COVID-19 . NHL.com . February 1, 2021 . February 1, 2021.
Web site: 2020–2021 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats. NHL.
Web site: 2020–2021 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – All Skaters – Summary – Points – NHL.com – Stats. NHL.
Web site: 2020–2021 – Regular Season – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats. NHL.
Web site: 2020–2021 – Playoffs – Pittsburgh Penguins – Goalie – Summary – Wins – NHL.com – Stats. NHL.
Web site: Penguins Acquire Gruden and a 2020 2nd-Round Draft Pick for Matt Murray . NHL.com . October 7, 2020 . October 7, 2020.