2020–21 Columbus Blue Jackets season

2020–21 Columbus Blue Jackets
Division	8th Central
2020–21 record	18–26–12
Home record	11–9–8
Road record	7–17–4
Goals for	137
Goals against	187
Team information
General manager	Jarmo Kekalainen
Coach	John Tortorella
Captain	Nick Foligno (Jan. 14 – Apr. 10) Vacant (Apr. 10 – Oct. 12)
Alternate captains	Cam Atkinson Boone Jenner Seth Jones
Arena	Nationwide Arena
Minor league affiliate(s)	Cleveland Monsters (AHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Oliver Bjorkstrand (18)
Assists	Oliver Bjorkstrand (26)
Points	Oliver Bjorkstrand (44)
Penalty minutes	Max Domi (75)
Plus/minus	Eric Robinson (+6)
Wins	Joonas Korpisalo (9)
Goals against average	Elvis Merzlikins (2.77)

The 2020–21 Columbus Blue Jackets season was the 21st season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 25, 1997. 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 Blue Jackets played the season in the Central Division and only played games against the other teams in their new division during the regular season.

On April 22, the Blue Jackets were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since the 2015–16 season, after a 3–1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Standings

Central Division

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	RW	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	y – Carolina Hurricanes	56	36	12	8	27	179	136	+43	80
2	x – Florida Panthers	56	37	14	5	26	189	153	+36	79
3	x – Tampa Bay Lightning	56	36	17	3	29	181	147	+34	75
4	x – Nashville Predators	56	31	23	2	21	156	154	+2	64
5	e – Dallas Stars	56	23	19	14	17	158	154	+4	60
6	e – Chicago Blackhawks	56	24	25	7	15	161	186	−25	55
7	e – Detroit Red Wings	56	19	27	10	17	127	171	−44	48
8	e – Columbus Blue Jackets	56	18	26	12	12	137	187	−50	48

Source: National Hockey League
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
e – Eliminated from playoff contention; x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division

Schedule and results

Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.

2020–21 game log
January: 4–3–3 (Home: 2–0–2 ; Road: 2–3–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 January 14 Columbus 1–3 Nashville Korpisalo 0 0–1–0 0 2 January 16 Columbus 2–5 Nashville Merzlikins 0 0–2–0 0 3 January 18 Columbus 3–2 Detroit Korpisalo 0 1–2–0 2 4 January 19 Columbus 2–3 Detroit OT Merzlikins 0 1–2–1 3 5 January 21 Tampa Bay 3–2 Columbus OT Korpisalo 0 1–2–2 4 6 January 23 Tampa Bay 2–5 Columbus Merzlikins 0 2–2–2 6 7 January 26 Florida 4–3 Columbus SO Korpisalo 0 2–2–3 7 8 January 28 Florida 2–3 Columbus SO Merzlikins 0 3–2–3 9 9 January 29 Columbus 2–1 Chicago Korpisalo 0 4–2–3 11 10 January 31 Columbus 1–3 Chicago Merzlikins 0 4–3–3 11
February: 4–7–2 (Home: 2–4–1 ; Road: 2–3–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 11 February 2 Dallas 6–3 Columbus Korpisalo 0 4–4–3 11 12 February 4 Dallas 3–4 Columbus Korpisalo 0 5–4–3 13 13 February 7 Carolina 6–5 Columbus Korpisalo 0 5–5–3 13 14 February 8 Carolina 2–3 Columbus Korpisalo 0 6–5–3 15 15 February 11 Columbus 6–5 Chicago Korpisalo 0 7–5–3 17 16 February 13 Columbus 2–3 Chicago OT Korpisalo 0 7–5–4 18 17 February 15 Columbus 3–7 Carolina Korpisalo 0 7–6–4 18 18 February 18 Nashville 0–3 Columbus Merzlikins 0 8–6–4 20 19 February 20 Nashville 4–2 Columbus Merzlikins 0 8–7–4 20 20 February 23 Chicago 6–5 Columbus SO Korpisalo 0 8–7–5 21 21 February 25 Chicago 2–0 Columbus Korpisalo 0 8–8–5 21 22 February 27 Columbus 1–2 Nashville Korpisalo — 8–9–5 21 23 February 28 Columbus 1–3 Nashville Korpisalo — 8–10–5 21
March: 6–5–3 (Home: 2–2–3 ; Road: 4–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 24 March 2 Detroit 1–4 Columbus Korpisalo 1,953 9–10–5 23 25 March 4 Columbus 3–2 Dallas Korpisalo 4,112 10–10–5 25 26 March 6 Columbus 0–5 Dallas Korpisalo 4,203 10–11–5 25 27 March 9 Florida 4–2 Columbus Korpisalo 3,448 10–12–5 25 28 March 11 Florida 5–4 Columbus OT Merzlikins 3,739 10–12–6 26 29 March 13 Dallas 3–4 Columbus OT Merzlikins 4,160 11–12–6 28 30 March 14 Dallas 2–1 Columbus SO Korpisalo 3,992 11–12–7 29 31 March 18 Columbus 3–2 Carolina OT Korpisalo 2,924 12–12–7 31 32 March 20 Columbus 3–2 Carolina SO Merzlikins 2,924 13–12–7 33 33 March 22 Carolina 3–0 Columbus Korpisalo 3,829 13–13–7 33 34 March 25 Carolina 4–3 Columbus OT Korpisalo 4,033 13–13–8 34 35 March 27 Columbus 1–3 Detroit Merzlikins 0 13–14–8 34 36 March 28 Columbus 1–4 Detroit Merzlikins 0 13–15–8 34 37 March 30 Columbus 3–1 Tampa Bay Merzlikins 3,800 14–15–8 36
April: 2–10–2 (Home: 2–2–1 ; Road: 0–8–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 38 April 1 Columbus 2–3 Tampa Bay Merzlikins 3,800 14–16–8 36 39 April 3 Columbus 2–5 Florida Merzlikins 4,375 14–17–8 36 40 April 4 Columbus 0–3 Florida Korpisalo 4,069 14–18–8 36 41 April 6 Tampa Bay 2–4 Columbus Korpisalo 4,080 15–18–8 38 42 April 8 Tampa Bay 6–4 Columbus Merzlikins 4,143 15–19–8 38 43 April 10 Chicago 4–3 Columbus Merzlikins 4,502 15–20–8 38 44 April 12 Chicago 4–3 Columbus OT Korpisalo 4,093 15–20–9 39 45 April 15 Columbus 1–4 Dallas Merzlikins 4,201 15–21–9 39 46 April 17 Columbus 1–5 Dallas Korpisalo 5,643 15–22–9 39 47 April 19 Columbus 2–4 Florida Merzlikins 4,041 15–23–9 39 48 April 20 Columbus 1–5 Florida Korpisalo 4,132 15–24–9 39 49 April 22 Columbus 1–3 Tampa Bay Merzlikins 4,200 15–25–9 39 50 April 25 Columbus 3–4 Tampa Bay OT Merzlikins 4,200 15–25–10 40 51 April 27 Detroit 0–1 Columbus SO Merzlikins 4,316 16–25–10 42
May: 2–1–2 (Home: 2–1–1 ; Road: 0–0–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 52 May 1 Columbus 1–2 Carolina OT Merzlikins 4,987 16–25–11 43 53 May 3 Nashville 4–3 Columbus OT Merzlikins 4,210 16–25–12 44 54 May 5 Nashville 2–4 Columbus Merzlikins 4,084 17–25–12 46 55 May 7 Detroit 5–2 Columbus Kivlenieks 4,402 17–26–12 46 56 May 8 Detroit 4–5 Columbus OT Kivlenieks 4,493 18–26–12 48
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)