The Boston Bruins have now collected points in eight straight games, and Marco Sturm's club sits atop the Atlantic Division heading into Tuesday.

That's the headline, and it's a loud one. Boston is 9-2-1 through 12 games, good for 19 points and 2nd in the NHL among 32 teams.

The most recent chapter came Saturday night against San Jose. The Bruins won 6-4 at home, their second straight victory.

Four goals allowed in a win isn't a number Sturm will frame and hang in the locker room. But a team that finds a way to score six on a given night usually finds a way to stay in the standings.

And the scoring has been steady. Boston has 48 goals for and 26 against, a +22 goal differential that explains the record better than any highlight reel could.

Think of it like a freight train that doesn't look pretty on the way out of the station. Once it's moving, it's hard to knock off the tracks.

Bruins road test at Carolina could define the streak

The next test arrives Tuesday, October 27, at Carolina. It's a road game, and the Bruins have been solid away from home at 4-1-1.

Home ice has been even friendlier. Boston is 5-1-0 in its own building, which tells you this group isn't leaning on one split to pad the numbers.

NESN flagged the milestone on Monday, pointing to the eight-game point streak while promoting its weekly top plays package.

Over the last 10 games, the Bruins are 7-2-1. That's the kind of stretch that turns early-season optimism into real expectations.

So here's the question hanging over Sturm's bench. Can a team giving up four to San Jose keep this up against a Hurricanes group that will test every defensive lapse?

The streak is alive. The next puck drop will say a lot about whether it's built to last.