Here’s what veteran forward Mike Richards said about having tough guy Kyle Clifford join his line and produce one goal and a team-leading five points going into Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Predators at Staples Center:

“There’s that physical presence, almost a fear factor of him on the ice. He creates a lot of space for Jeff (Carter) and I. We get a lot of loose pucks because of it, and turnovers, too, because it forces teams to act quicker than they actually will because they think they have less time with the puck. Every player in the league is aware of who you’re on the ice with. He’s got that (fighting) skill set.”