BRAMPTON, Ont. – With the wounds starting to heal, the Brampton Battalion expected to have three players back in the lineup for a 7:30 p.m. Friday visit to the Kingston Frontenacs.

The Battalion, which has a won-lost-extended record of 15-10-4 for 34 points, third in the Ontario Hockey League’s Central Division after victories Thursday night by the Barrie Colts and Niagara IceDogs, figures to have forwards Michael Santini, Barclay Goodrow and Alex O’Neil return to action in the first of two games this weekend against Kingston. 

“It’s important to get those guys back,” said Battalion coach Stan Butler. “Goodrow shouldn’t miss a beat, since he didn’t miss too much time, but for the other guys you can’t lose sight that they’ve been out for a long time.”

Said right winger Santini: “It feels really good to be back in the lineup. It’s the second time this season I’ve come back. I’ve kind have had the injury bug this year, so it’s a good feeling.”

Left winger O’Neil, who sat out 10 games with a suspension, suggested the Battalion is in good shape with more hands on deck.

“It’s awesome to get guys healthy and back in the lineup to help our team. We can be deadly when everyone is healthy with all the guys we have.”  

Added O’Neil: “I’m really excited. It’s been rough watching the guys play, because I’m healthy and know I can be out there causing an impact.”

The Battalion is scheduled to play three games in as many days, including two straight road games. The Troops visit Barrie at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and are home to Kingston at 2 p.m. Sunday to complete the teams’ four-game season series. They’ve split the first two, with each winning on the other’s ice.

“We just need to play it one game at a time,” noted Butler. “Try to get two points on Friday night, and then go from there. We have to walk before we can run.”

Right winger Goodrow sat out a 3-0 win over visiting Niagara last Sunday after taking teammate Sam Carrick’s broken stick to the torso in a 4-0 road loss to the Sudbury Wolves last Friday night. Santini returns from a separated shoulder suffered in a 3-0 win Nov. 20 at Sudbury, and O’Neil has completed his suspension for a check to the head of Frank Schumacher in a 6-4 home-ice victory Nov. 11 over Niagara.

“We just have to play a consistent game,” said Butler. “We need to continue to score on the power play. Our special teams need to be good, and we need a consistent effort from everybody.”

Santini, one of four overagers on the roster, has three assists in 11 games, and left winger O’Neil has one assist in 18 games while accumulating 45 penalty minutes. Goodrow has a team-leading 12 goals and five assists for 17 points in 24 games.

“It’s really frustrating getting hurt twice and not playing and seeing the guys battle,” said Santini. “I just worked out and tried to stay focused.”

Noted O’Neil: “I bag-skated after every practice to keep my edge and keep in shape so I wouldn’t feel out of shape when I got back.”

Centre Patrik Machac remains sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in a 2-1 loss via shootout to the visiting Kitchener Rangers last Thursday night. Right winger Matt MacLeod has a concussion from a crosscheck in a 7-2 loss Nov. 18 to the host Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, while Ian Watters is recovering from surgery on severed tendons in his right wrist.

Barrie and Niagara are tied for first place in the division, one point ahead of the Battalion. The Colts downed the visiting Owen Sound Attack 5-3, while the IceDogs defeated the host Peterborough Petes 5-2.

The game at Kingston can be seen live in Brampton on Rogers Cable 10 and in Bolton, Caledon and Orangeville on Rogers Cable 63.