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With Auston Matthews looking stronger on one side and another goaltender having a big game, the Leafs won for the ninth time in 11 starts and reclaimed first place with a 4-1 decision over Chicago.

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Our takeaways:

STOLIE THE GOALKEEPER

Can Craig Berube make a bad decision online these days?

He had to choose between Joseph Woll’s five-game winning streak and Anthony Stolarz, who won five straight after a loss and posted a .921 save percentage in those situations.

With Woll possibly more jet-lagged after Saturday’s win at Tampa Bay, the coach switched with Stolarz again, earning 27 saves from the veteran, many of them difficult.

“They feed off each other,” Berube said of his keepers. “They have a great relationship, they are tight-knit and that really benefits the whole team.”

Some goalies find themselves in a don’t-talk-to-me zone during a game, including timeouts, but the two Leafs exchanged a few laughs after a stretch pad stop and a hot glove in the same sequence as Stolarz hit a tired ball group that was caught off guard during a strong forecheck in Chicago.

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“It’s nice in practice when we compete against each other, and I think (goalkeeping coach) Curtis Sanford deserves a lot of credit as well,” Stolarz said, “working on a lot of the little things that I’ve incorporated into my game since I took over.” Here.

“Woller has won five times in a row so I think we will continue to encourage each other and give the team a lot of confidence to play their game. And if they make a mistake, the guys in the cage will cover for him.”

MORE ACTION FOR AUSTON

While he dipped his toe in the water with two assists on Saturday after a month-long layoff, Matthews landed a cannonball into the deep end on Monday.

Three shots on goal, three goals and the first goal capped nearly 20 minutes of ice time, including 2:16 shorthanded when Toronto converted four penalties, which included 5-on-3 play.

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“I continue to work on getting my legs and lungs back in shape,” Matthews said.

He rarely takes penalties but has now been assessed a minor in consecutive games, including Monday’s rare rough call. Stolarz has noticed that he is becoming more and more ferocious as he speeds up his return.

“I’m sure he just wants to get back into the swing of things. He missed nine games and that physicality is probably the most important thing for him. I don’t mind how our PK is clicking right now and when our top guys are clicking and doing everything else. It forces everyone else to follow in our captain’s footsteps.”

MINT CONDITION

Matthews, John Tavares and Matthew Knies are expected to score for Toronto, but the biggest goal last night came from Fraser Minten just 21 seconds after Lukas Reichel made the game 2-1.

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And Berube liked that it was part of a planned play the Leafs had come up with earlier in the break that had Conor Timmins going for a bench shot from the net that rookie Minten and his linemates Steven Lorentz and Nick Robertson were able to take advantage of.

“Smart game,” said Berube. “With their goalkeeper (Arvid Soderblom), he likes to go out and challenge. Timmer had no line of fire and on that line it was a huge goal.

“(Minten) talks like a veteran on the bench. He’s not a guy that needs to be taught a lot, he just needs the repetitions. He understands the game and the systems.”

Minten has now scored two goals and four points in five games and is calling for his nomination to be extended.

“It’s nice to score, but I want to stick to the same (two-way) process whether they go in or not.”

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Stage fright

If observers thought it was unusual for Matthews to start the game with third-liners Lorentz and Robertson, the entire Leaf team agreed.

Matthews was announced as the starting center with the usual fanfare, but was rather surprised to find himself sitting on the bench at that point before eventually making his way to center ice, where Minten had been.

“Something with the computer,” an amused Berube explained later. “Minten came out and I heard Auston’s name. I thought, ‘What?’ I had Minten down.”

Concerned about being penalized for an incorrect line-up, as was the case in a recent game against Nashville, Berube called referee Steve Kozari to the bench to assure him that he had recorded mintens. To be on the safe side, it was agreed that Toronto would eject Matthews.

“These computers screw everything up,” Berube joked. “They used to write (the starting lineups) on a piece of paper.”

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