Chicago captain Jonathan Toews was quick to mention Boston after the Blackhawks' franchise-record ninth straight victory.

No, not the Bruins.

"We're kind of feeling like the Boston Celtics," Toews said, referencing the NBA champion Celtics' recent 19-game winning streak.

If the two resurgent Original Six teams keep playing like they are now, Toews and his young Chicago teammates could be in for a lot of Bruins talk later, say in late May and early June with the Stanley Cup on the line.

On Sunday in road games, Chicago beat Minnesota 4-1, and Boston held off Atlanta 2-1 for its eighth win a row and a share of the NHL overall lead with San Jose.

"There's just a sense of calmness," Toews said. "I think any other team would be excited to be in this situation, and sometimes when you have that momentum you get a little overexcited. We just need to keep our sticks on the ice and keep it simple."

The Bruins kept it simple, too. Michael Ryder broke a tie with 6:04 left off a perfect lead pass from David Krejci.

The Bruins (27-5-4) have played one more game than San Jose (27-4-4).

In other NHL games Sunday night, it was: Washington 4, Toronto 1; Anaheim 4, St. Louis 3; Edmonton 5, Nashville 2; and Vancouver 3, Ottawa 0.