The Bruins play what can officially be termed a Big Game on Saturday night when they take on Red Wings in Detroit (8 pm, ABC) as the death struggle for an Eastern Conference playoff spot continues.

As the slate of Saturday games kicks off, the B’s, Wings and Montreal Canadiens all have 84 points. The Habs are in the third Atlantic Division slot by virtue of having one game in hand while the B’s have the first wild card because that have one more regulation win than the Wings, who are in the second wild card.

The Habs will play the New York Islanders, who are just one point behind both the B’s and Wings and just outside the playoff bracket. A regulation loss for the B’s tonight and they could find themselves on the outside.

For all intents and purposes, the playoffs have begun.

“You love it,” Marco Sturm told reporters in Detroit. “We want to be on that spot and guys worked pretty hard to be in that spot, so you’ve got to enjoy it. I feel the guys are enjoying it, too. Even in close games, we’re feeling very comfortable. So that’s on my players. Being in this building, too, is special and playing a good team, too.”

Wings’ star forward Dylan Larkin, who has been out since March 6, skated with the team in the morning but did not take line rushes and Detroit coach Todd McLellan told reporters that he won’t be ready for tonight.

The B’s, meanwhile, will go with the same lineup that they had for the 6-1 win over Winnipeg on Thursday, with Jeremy Swayman getting his third straight start. He’ll face John Gibson.

Lukas Reichel will get his second game with the B’s on the line with Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie, both of whom have been struggling to get on the score sheet since the Olympic break. Sturm felt Reichel’s speed added a new element to the line.

“I thought it was pretty good,” said Sturm of the line. “From the breakout to the entry, he pushed that pace pretty good, so I think that helped guys like Lindy and Geeks. There were a few things in the D-zone he needs to correct a little bit that I showed him today. Other than that, I thought it was good chemistry.”

Geekie, who is still the B’s leading goalscorer with 35, has just two since the break. Sturm said he spoke with him about what’s important at this time of year.

“What I’ve said is it’s not about scoring. This is about us wining hockey games and getting the job done,” said Sturm. “He’s been a big scorer in this league now, but he has to remind himself that he has to do some other things as well when things are not going well, scoring-wise. It was just a reminder of being hard to play against and he was better last game. And that’s fine with me. We need other things from him and not just scoring goals.”

As of the moment, the James Hagens watch continues after the 2025 seventh overall pick and his Boston College teammates had their season ended by Uconn on Friday night in the Hockey East finals. The question seems less of whether he signs or not but where he starts his pro career, Boston or Providence. If Reichel continues to perform well on Saturday, that could help make the decision for the B’s.

But that subject was far from Sturm’s mind on Saturday after the morning skate.

“We have (discussed Hagens) a little bit in the past but at the end of the day, it’s not my job. Not right now,” said Sturm. “I think the big thing is to make the right decision for the kid and for the team. For today, it’s just us and Detroit. That’s the only thing I’m worried about.”