Mark Recchi must win now to avoid Chris Chelios parallels

Mark Recchi’s tank is far from barren. He continues to inspire his Boston Bruins compatriots with a combination of winning experience, a fastidious desire for another title and physical energy on the ice.

But with his motivation exponentially translating to less in the way of tangible contributions, the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals may be Recchi’s final chance to play a visible, active role in his push for another ring.

Therefore, in the interest of all parties concerned―most importantly, Recchi himself―whatever he can still cultivate from within, he had best dish out now to win that third cup and retire a victor like he has planned.

Granted, Recchi’s saga is nowhere near the pitifully lofty ambitions of Chris Chelios, whose outspoken dream to play until age 50 started to wilt when he sat out the 2008 championship round at age 46.

To put things in perspective, Chelios―already a 1986 and 2002 champ―went pointless in 14 playoff appearances before staying a healthy scratch throughout Detroit’s six-game triumph over Pittsburgh. The following year, Chelios was arid in all of his 28 regular season and six playoff games and once again shelved for the duration of the finals.

Nothing of that species has come to inhibit the 43-year-old Recchi’s quest quite yet.

That said, his skates are beginning to dull more easily and his acetylene stick is requiring more frequent reheats.

Recchi went scoreless and logged a cumulative minus-five rating in the third round versus Tampa Bay. Those seven games are the longest he has gone without any points since he was acquired at the 2009 trading deadline. And he saw a season-low 12 minutes and 37 seconds worth of ice time in Game 7.

He did record three shots on goal in that game, before which he displayed his 1991 and 2006 championship rings to invigorate his teammates. But while his initiative can be consistently confirmed by video, and sometimes by stats, Recchi’s finish appears to be fading.

This past regular season, Recchi demonstrated that he can still make plays (34 assists) and make enough of his shots count (six power goals and six game-winners). But perhaps a few more shots, namely more than 132 on net, would have been an easy way to make bigger ripples.

Of all the regulars on the Bruins’ forward lines, only fourth-liner Gregory Campbell (98), checker Chris Kelly (113) and still-ripening Tyler Seguin (130) recorded fewer shots.

And while eight of his teammates, including linemates Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, mounted a plus-minus rating of plus-20 or better, Recchi was a comparatively mediocre plus-13.

More critically, since coming to Boston, Recchi has annually trimmed his productivity in the home stretch of the regular season. He began with a 10-goal, 16-point sugar rush in the last 18 games of the 2008-09 regular season, followed by six playoff points, five of which fell in the last five games of the Carolina series.

Last year, Recchi nailed a 6-7-13 scoring log in 21 regular season games after the Olympic respite, but only went 4-4-8 in the last 15. Although, in fairness, he took at least one shot on goal in each of the final 11 games of that schedule, amounting to a total of 32 registered stabs and the Bruins did combine to finish with the NHL’s least productive offense that year.

From there, he led the team with six goals in the postseason, went no more than two consecutive playoff games without a point and stamped a pair of two-point performances.

This season, amongst a consistently healthier and more productive bunch, Recchi played every regular-season game until earning a rest day for the April 10 finale in New Jersey. Finishing fifth on the team leaderboard with 48 points, he had 10 multi-point outings, the last one being a playmaker hat trick against the Dallas Stars Feb. 3.

But starting with the last weekend of February, Recchi sprinkled three goals and three helpers over the course of his last 21 regular-season appearances. And since etching two helpers in Game 3 of conference quarterfinals against Montreal, he can only speak of four points over the last 15 playoff games.

Whatever he can and does put on the scoresheet is still more than zilch, therefore more than what Chelios could profess in his waning years. Nonetheless, it is not quite what Recchi was churning out two short springs ago.

Every ounce of sheer aptitude that evaporates forever is taking another dollop of retirement glamour with it. For all we know, it may not be now or never after all, but why toy with it?

Recchi himself realizes he might not be able to handle another one of these nine-month marathons. Two months ago, he told the WEEI Big Bad Blog: “We’ll see if I can recover. Obviously take three weeks, a month, see if my body and my head is ready to get back in the grind physically doing the stuff I need to do to get ready for next year.”

In the same interview, he said what he has said to the same effect many times prior and since.

“If we win a championship, I’m gone," he declared.

Recchi needn’t be told anything twice. He’s playing in the finals―against his native province, no less―with a chance to garner his third cup under his own power.

Unlike Chelios, who had to watch the Red Wings get it for him.