from Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch,

The next time we see Todd Richards, he’s liable to be a consultant, a lost soul who is paid an exorbitant amount of money not to do what he does best.

The Blue Jackets fell to 0-7-0 on Tuesday night, and now they head out on the road, where it is harder to win and easier to fire the coach because of the dearth of local news media. It is a bad combination for a coach of a losing team in a league known to ax coaches first and find the real reasons for his team’s problems later.

That Richards has lasted this long might have something to do with his bosses knowing that a big part of his problems stem from their willingness to believe in a pressure-free, lame-duck 15-1-1 finish to last season and their subsequent failure to upgrade the team’s defense.

Still, a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders at Nationwide Arena felt like it could be the end for Richards, which is sad because it’s hard not to think that most of what has happened isn’t his fault.

“It’s not the coach,” defenseman Jack Johnson said. “He can’t play for us. … It’s 100 percent not on them.”

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Below, watch coach Todd Richards post-game...