The Vancouver Canucks pass the midway point of their six-game Eastern Conference road trip Tuesday as they get set to step on to the Madison Square Garden ice to face the New York Rangers.

The club held an optional morning skate at MSG with a number of players taking part. Forwards Daniel Sedin, Jannik Hansen, Bo Horvat, Radim Vrbata and Derek Dorsett as well as defencemen Alex Edler and Chris Tanev were not on the ice. Henrik Sedin spent the morning with the club’s medical staff getting treatment before he returns home to Vancouver today.

Forward Jared McCann did take the morning skate and to say the least is excited to play his first game at MSG tonight. He’s expected to take Henrik’s spot on the top line between Daniel & Hansen.

“I’m really lucky the coaches kept me in the lineup,” said McCann. “I want to make the most of it tonight.”

There are a number of other players (young and old) getting set to play their first games at the Garden this evening. Ben Hutton, fresh off of netting his first career NHL goal two nights again in Brooklyn against the Islanders, is excited to step on to MSG ice.

As is forward Adam Cracknell, who makes his first appearance as a visitor against the Rangers in this, his 120th career NHL game.

Head Coach Willie Desjardins would not confirm which players would draw into the line-up tonight for Vancouver. Following yesterday’s practice he had hinted that Brandon Prust may be the odd man out, but today Desjardins said his staff will continue to go through the process of deciding who is either in or out against the Rangers. The Canucks were 3-2 winners at home against New York on December 9. Ryan Miller made 32 saves that night and gets the call tonight on the road.