Assistant Claude Noel will take over the team on an interim basis until a new head coach is named.

Columbus is 14th out of 15th in the Western Conference, which is unacceptable given last year’s results.

The organization said that the team simply wasn’t responding to Hitchcock and a change was needed.

The team’s playoff trip last year was the first ever for the relatively new expansion franchise.

Raffi Torres found the back of the net twice, Rick Nash netted his 400th career point and Chris Clark scored his first goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The offensive highlights add up to a 4-2 Columbus victory over St. Louis on Monday in Columbus, the Blue Jackets recovering from a loss last week to Blues during which St. Louis scored three times in the first period.

In this one, Columbus controlled things. Paul Kariya scored on the power play 71 seconds in to give the Blues a short-lived 1-0 lead. Torres then netted his first three minutes later, then added his second at the 11:45 mark to make it 2-1 Jackets.

In the second, Nash scored on the power play at the 4:20 mark for his milestone point. Clark’s first Columbus goal came 85 seconds into the third and gave the Jackets breathing room.

Mathieu Garon made it stand up, recording 30 saves for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus, in 14th place in the Western Conference, travels to Philadelphia Tuesday.

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