'Really good test' for Brouwer

A new coach and a new chance. The timing was perfect Wednesday night for Blackhawks rookie winger Troy Brouwer.

Recalled from Rockford on Tuesday in hopes that he could add some scoring punch, particularly on the power play, Brouwer found himself skating on the second line with Patrick Sharp and Martin Havlat against the Edmonton Oilers.

Brouwer saw it as the perfect opportunity to show new coach Joel Quenneville what he was all about as a player.

"Obviously, he hasn't seen a whole lot of me," Brouwer said. "I think first impression is going to be crucial for me. He's only seen me play this year in camp and liked what he saw from what I can tell and what he's told me. This is going to be a really good test for me and a really good chance to show off what I can do."

Brouwer had a strong start to training camp only to have his game tail off late. He was one of the final cuts and was told by general manager Dale Tallon to go down to Rockford and dominate.

Brouwer played very well in Rockford's first five games with 2 goals and 6 assists.

"It was tough to go back, but all I've got to do is play like I did in Rockford," Brouwer said. "I went down and dominated, I guess you could say, and it felt really good. If I bring that game here there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to continue to do it here."

Quenneville likes Brouwer's size (6-feet-2, 213 pounds) along with his ability to score goals.

"He not only gives us size, he's got a nice set of hands," Quenneville said. "He can score and has a good presence in front of the net on the power play. It give us more depth and more options as a team."