There is no point to living being the only thing that matters, one would have no kills in his streak if it was. The point in streaks is how much one is willing to gamble with his virtual life to score kills. Some gamble more some less, but everyone would still gamble.
In current MA play livings seems to mean next to nothing. All that seems to matter is a kill at any cost. IMNSHO, that pretty much deprives the immersion of WW2 air war. Most of the sensible pilots would break off a chase if an enemy got to their six. They would disengage to live and to score a bit later instead of stubbornly chasing a kill and then get killed right after that, or even before that.