This Rochester Ice Hawks team seems to be a bit of a chameleon.
They will adapt to any style, and the Ice Hawks are driven to beat their opponents at their own game.
Rough and tough? No problem.
Run and gun? You bet.
Saturday night was a prime example. The Steele County Blades came to the Rochester Recreation Center for the first time, and the Blades like to play a physical, punch-you-in-the-mouth brand of hockey.
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The Ice Hawks returned the favor and more, exploding for five first-period goals during an 8-3 victory in front of 1,879 fans.
The win was a far cry from what transpired the last time the two teams met in Owatonna. That night, the Ice Hawks struggled and suffered an ugly 3-2 loss.
Motivated by the setback, Rochester showed exactly what it can accomplish in the first period.
The Blades had no breathing room, and the Ice Hawks were intense and sharp at both ends.
Scoring came from up and down the Ice Hawks lineup, too. Brent Kallio, Nick Gorino, Drew Carlson, Jamie Blair and Luke Richardson all put the puck in the net in the opening period. Four of those goals came in the first six minutes.
But in the second period, the Ice Hawks let off the gas pedal. They appeared to be going through the motions.
