“The kids came out strong, they played really well, and I kind of thought, 'Man, I need to try it out here at some point, let me get into it a little bit,'” Ellis said. “… I have other ways to stay involved when you don't have a lot of action, like seeing who else is on the other team on the other side, if they're left-handed, right-handed, who their top player is.”
this Top player Dylan Larkin, who was wearing wing wheels, escaped from the penalty area and broke free on his own early in the second period, shortly after Detroit took a 1-0 lead. Ellis covered five holes to deny the speedy Red Wings captain his sixth goal of the season — his second crucial save.
Riding on the energy of a rookie goalie, Jason Zucker and Tyson Kozak scored within five minutes to give the Sabers a 2-1 lead. Detroit's Emmett Finney answered with a goal, and the game was tied after 40 minutes.
Kozak continued his impactful night when he took a tripping penalty in Buffalo's defensive zone early in the third quarter. In the final seconds of the ensuing power play, Jack Quinn shot the ball past goaltender John Gibson from the high post to give the Sabers the lead.
