Toronto led for over half of the game before Detroit's main roster scored four unanswered goals.

Max Ellis had a game with the Maple Leafs in his home state of Michigan.

It was Toronto's young guns who got the final pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings. The biggest storyline going into the game was how Fraser Minten would play after what's been an impressive training camp for the 19-year-old.

But a 23-year-old who played with the Marlies last season stole the show. Here's more on that and a few other observations from Saturday night's game in Detroit.

Ellis' strong final pre-season game

The 23-year-old found the back of the net once and was involved in another goal in Detroit on Saturday.

You can see by his smile just how big of a goal this was for him. The 23-year-old uses his speed and skating to cut out wide before sneaking it on net. Ellis might be small, but he plays as though he's bigger than he actually is.

Ellis is looking to build off what was a decent rookie season in the AHL last year with the Marlies.

The other observations

- Joseph Woll allowed four goals on 32 shots. He once again showcased his calm game against Detroit's main group. Although he did get the loss, it was a fairly good game overall for the 25-year-old netminder.

Woll also showed off his biggest strength: his athleticism. There were a few great stops but none better than the one he made on Christian Fischer in the third period.

- Fraser Minten had a fairly quiet game, but it's not to say it wasn't good. He was involved in a number of plays at both ends of the rink and still should be in contention for a lineup spot.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe showed a vote of confidence in Minten as he put him out for the final faceoff in the game. Toronto had a six-on-four after scoring a late goal.

I'm not sure if I'd keep him around given Toronto's cap situation. But if the coaching staff feels as though Minten's ready, then they should take a chance and see how he does at the NHL level.

- Sam Lafferty got on the board for Toronto late in the third period. He spins and fires while the Maple Leafs had a 6-on-4. 

His future with the team remains in question as a few players have made strong impressions in training camp.

- Nick Robertson has had a good camp, but there's still room to grow his game. It seemed as though he was having trouble generating anything on Saturday, whether it be setting up plays or trying to find the net.

His strength is his shot, obviously. Yet, Robertson cannot get in the right position to get a good shot off. Slowing down his game, to me, could help him have success. And the best place to slow his game down is in the AHL, which is where I believe he'll begin the season.

- Mikko Kokkonen continues to turn heads at Maple Leafs training camp. He had an up and down season in the AHL last year, but has turned his game around in this NHL camp.

The 22-year-old has played a calm defensive game through training camp, not letting anything bother him. He even came up with a huge stop in the crease on Saturday against Detroit.

His play is a pleasant surprise, and if he can keep it up in the AHL, there could be big things to come.

- I'm a big believer in Roni Hirvonen and I think he'll have a great season with the Toronto Marlies. What stands out to me about the 21-year-old is his confidence with the puck. Hirvonen knows when to hang onto it and when to find his open teammate for a scoring chance. 

When he does hang onto the puck, Hirvonen has the strength to keep it away from his opponent.

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