Chico loses it

On two different occasions, moments after the Rangers put away the Devils at The Rock last night, Glenn "Chico" Resch got upset, venting that so many Rangers fans celebrating at the Devils' home rink was tough to take.

Chico was frustrated, angry, bitter.

Man, it was beautiful stuff.

There was something so decent, so human about the way Chico just completely lost his composure. Is his performance going to win him an Emmy? Never. Were the purists tsk-tsking at him last night? You bet.

I don't care. I loved it.

What was even cooler was how you could sense Chico trying to stop himself mid-thought. It's also possible his producer was in his ear asking him to re-consider a potential meltdown.

Chico is part-Islander, part-Devil. Lou Lamoriello and that organization have been very good to him. Chico is so loyal, he never considered skipping a Devils broadcast two years ago so he could attend the celebration of the Islanders' 1980 Cup team. (He recorded a joyous opening video instead). When you consider all the Islanders and Devils blood in him, no wonder it boiled as Jagr saluted the Rangers fans as he headed off the ice last night.

Chic's freak was a bit reminiscent of Billy Jaffe's anguished cry of "No! Noooo..." when the Devils scored in the final seconds of regulation against the Islanders in the last regular season game of '06-07. Maybe not textbook, but memorable.

They teach you everywhere from Syracuse to Missouri to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting to the dearly departed Marty Glickman's legendary tutoring sessions to be a pro, not a cheerleader.

But every once in a while something happens that makes all the formal training go away. For a moment, you show you're a person with a heartbeat.

Come to think of it, Billy Jaffe just won the Emmy for his work on the Islanders last season.

Chico: even though it pains you to have renegade fans in the home team building, I'll still leave a pair for your family when the Devils play the NVMC.

Just promise me one thing: don't change.