"Todd Richards has an enormous challenge ahead of him as interim coach of the Blue Jackets. The team has 30 games to play, but the season has been over — with respect to the Stanley Cup playoffs — for a long time. Motivation can be a scarce resource in times like these.

His good friend Claude Noel was in this same spot two years ago in Columbus when he took over a lost season in place of Ken Hitchcock. Noel spent the final two months of the season trying to impart "joy" among Blue Jackets players and fans.

Richards has his own one-word objective for the rest of the season."