Kopitar appreciates Nicholls’ presence

Bernie Nicholls doesn’t have a traditional coaching background, but his lengthy, successful NHL career — including the Kings’ franchise record of 70 goals in one season — is enough to get players’ attention. Nicholls’ on-ice activity in practice today was mostly limited to chatting with players between drills. Nicholls got to know some of the players in October, when he traveled to Europe with the team in a business capacity, and Anze Kopitar said Nicholls’ addition was a welcome one…

KOPITAR: “It’s nice to have him out there. Obviously he has scored plenty of goals, and always when you have a guy on the ice with us, especially of his caliber, it’s nice and it’s fun to see him coming out.’’

Question: When you talk to him out there, it is him bouncing things off you, and vice versa?

KOPITAR: “It’s a two-way conversation. Obviously he’s trying to give me some pointers, and through those pointers I kind of try to respond and tell him what I see on the ice, if the plays are there or not. If you have a conversation like that with Bernie, or anybody, it always helps and always gives you something to think about and try in a game.’’