Blue Notes

Call me up in dreamland
Radio to me man
Get the message to me
Anyway you can….

Every time you hear that whistle blow
You know you gotta put on your show
Every time your number comes around…

From the airport to the plane
All the way to the railroad trains
Why can't we take it from the top
And start all over again?

----Van Morrison

In dreamland, Scott Gomez is 100 percent healthy, the Rangers shake those dirty, lonesome first-period blues and tear off a five-game winning streak starting in Ottawa Saturday.

In dreamland, there's also peace in the mideast, the economy is robust and my lawn isn't patched with the first snow flurries of the season.

In the real world, where the driver's inside door panel of my old Jeep loosened and is hanging off, exposing some cloth and wires----it's in for repairs at the moment----the Rangers' wires have been exposed as well. The Canucks game was an accident waiting to happen, even if there was commendable life in the latter parts of the affair.

The Rangers are off today---(UPDATE: Gomez skated on his own)---and will practice tomorrow morning before leaving for Ottawa. Take it from the top and start all over again.

****
There are rumors floating that Garden execs were approached by the city and state to ditch the proposed renovation and move to a new building in the stalled Farley Post Office project across Eighth Avenue, which was originally one of the plans.
Not so, I'm told. "No chance, zero, zero, zero," a person in the know told me.
The renovation plans are on track, there are ongoing discussions about the phases of the project and more details will be announced in a few months.

****
Gomez confirmed on WEPN/1050 AM this afternoon that he was skating with a stress fracture in his ankle after the Oct. 18 Detroit game. The Post reported that, in turn, caused him to pull a groin muscle, complicating his recovery.

Just for the record, Newsday first reported in early November that Gomez was hobbled by an ankle injury, based on information from a person close to the situation, while the team---following NHL guidelines---declined to specify the problem.

That person told me several X-rays and exams indicated no fracture and that Gomez was having pain when he put on his skates, but when he warmed up and got going, things were fine, so he kept playing. Either somebody was varnishing the truth or the pictures didn't reveal anything at the time.

At any rate, Gomez was shut down on Nov. 12 and after rest and acupuncture, he has an outside shot of playing on Monday against Phoenix at MSG.

More when I know it....