Brouwer has a lot to play for during Cup finals

Two days before Game 1, the conversation turned to the youthful Blackhawks' eagerness to share their inaugural Stanley Cup Finals experience with their families.

The discussion left Troy Brouwer both upbeat and downcast.

"My wife's parents are coming in and my mom is coming in," Brouwer said. "My dad's still in the hospital right now, so he's not going to be able to come in because the travel risks are too big."

"It's a loss for me. I'd really like him to be here because, obviously, he's wanted this for me for a very long time."

Dan Brouwer was rushed to the hospital on April 4 with a blood clot in his brain that required emergency surgery.

The retired electrician has since shifted from a Vancouver hospital to a rehabilitation institute. That's where he watched his son score 2 goals in the Hawks' Game 1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday night.

He was too tired to talk with Troy after the game, but still found a way to communicate his joy.

"My sister texted me," Brouwer said. "She watched the game with him and said he was very proud of me and had a couple of tears in his eyes."

Brouwer took the third 2-goal performance of his NHL career a little bit more in stride. He didn't keep the pucks as souvenirs - and he didn't forget to credit linemate Marian Hossa for putting those pucks right on his stick.

"We feel he (Hossa) was probably the best player on the ice last night," Brouwer said. "He was playing like a man possessed. He was very determined. Obviously he's been here two times before and failed, so he obviously doesn't want to have that feeling for a third time.

"My shots never happen if he doesn't do what he does."

At the same time, the 24-year-old Brouwer isn't some slouch who lucked into those goals. He was the Hawks' fifth-leading goal producer during the regular season (22), but he led the squad with 7 game-winning goals.

"I think 'Brow' really progressed this year," said Hawks coach Joel Quenneville. "He's taken his game to a different level this year. He's that power forward you like to have. He's hard to play against, can score and he has a great shot."

With his relatively modest $1.05 million salary next season, Brouwer figures to be a key part of the Hawks' reconfigured roster.

While it's way too soon to worry about how next year turns out, it's worth discussing the topic if only to project whether Dan Brouwer might get to witness the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in person.

"Right now he's kind of holding steady," Troy said. "They're just trying to get him straightened up so he can walk by himself. They told him once he can walk up and down stairs by himself, he can go home. So he's got a goal to work towards."

And next year's Final, too?

"Yeah, exactly," Brouwer said.