Flyers ruin Hitchcock's Jackets debut

Last Updated: Friday, November 24, 2006 | 4:03 PM ET

CBC Sports

Mike Richards scored early in the third period Friday to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat Columbus 3-2 at home and spoil former coach Ken Hitchcock's debut with the Blue Jackets.

Richards's goal, his first of the season, came at 2:02 of the final frame for the Flyers, who snapped a club-record six-game home losing streak and stopped a three-game overall slid.

Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock signals to his players on the ice from the bench during the first period on Friday.
(Tom Mihalek/Associated Press)

Peter Forsberg and Freddy Meyer also scored for Philadelphia, while goalie Antero Niittymaki made 39 saves.

Jason Chimera and Rick Nash scored for the Blue Jackets, who tied a franchise record by losing their eighth straight contest

The game was Hitchcock's first behind the bench after being hired as the new coach of the Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Blue Jackets had just one practice under Hitchcock before Friday's game in Philadelphia.

Hitchcock amassed a career record of 408-249-100 as head coach with the Flyers and Dallas Stars, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1999.

But Philadelphia's 1-6-1 start this season was its worst in 15 years, prompting ownership to fire him on Oct. 22.

Hitchcock replaced interim coach Gary Agnew, an assistant who took over after Gerard Gallant was fired on Nov. 14.

Hitchcock is Columbus's fifth coach in six years.