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Leafs blank Pens

Feb 2, 2012 - 4:58 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - James Reimer stopped 25 shots for his second shutout of the season, as Toronto edged Pittsburgh, 1-0, in the back end of a home-and-home set from Air Canada Centre.

Clarke MacArthur netted the game's lone score for the Maple Leafs, who rebounded from a 5-4 shootout loss in the Steel City on Tuesday.

"Considering how we felt after last game, to come back and answer like we did -- that showed a lot of character in here," said MacArthur. "To get three out of four against a team like that that...obviously, you'd like all four but it doesn't work that way."

Brent Johnson played well in defeat, making 23 saves for the Penguins, whose eight-game win streak came to an end.

"I'm obviously disappointed in the loss, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," said Johnson, who hasn't won since December 3 and was pulled from his previous two starts. "I tried to simplify things out there and things were working pretty well tonight. I felt confident, felt good."

MacArthur finally snapped the scoreless deadlock with 6:05 left in regulation, taking a Mikhail Grabovski feed in the right circle, moving around Johnson and scoring into an open net.

Toronto had a chance to extend its edge just over a minute later when Pens defenseman Zbynek Michalek went off for interference, but failed to convert.

Johnson was called to the bench in the final minute to no avail.

Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz had a goal at 1:17 of the second period wiped out when review determined he used a clear a kicking motion to slip the puck through Reimer's pads.

Reimer made 16 saves through the first 40 minutes -- 12 of those in the second period. Johnson was true on 17 Leafs chances.

Game Notes

Reimer now has five career whitewashes...MacArthur has scored in three straight games, matching similar streaks from October 27-30 and November 22-27...Leafs forward Colby Armstrong returned for the first time since suffering a concussion in mid-December and Toronto defenseman John-Michael Liles made his first appearance since December 22 due to a concussion...This marked the second time the Pens were shut out by a 1-0 score on the road this season, after losing in Washington on January 11...Prior to the game, the Pens claimed forward Cal O'Reilly off waivers from Phoenix.