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Ottawa Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki kept clinging to hope, hopping with excitement that he could live out the dream of playing in the Stanley Cup final in his hometown.

Well, maybe not hopping — that would be tough to do with two torn ligaments and a torn muscle in his ankle — but if the Senators had defeated Pittsburgh in Game 7 on Thursday, Borowiecki says he would have been back on the ice for the opening game Monday against Nashville at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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“The first time I had battled one-on-one (in practice) was on the morning of Game 7 (against Pittsburgh),” he said Saturday.

“Not having a chance to play in the final at home, that stung. That would have been a really, really special thing for me. But I was grateful for the guys to keep it going as long as they did.”

Borowiecki, who suffered his ankle problems in Game 2 of Round 1 against Boston, says he was his own worst enemy in racing to return too soon, giving himself “ultimatums” and “deadlines” that weren’t realistic.

“I pushed, pushed, pushed,” he said. “I pushed a little too much at first. I was excited to get back, and that probably set me back a little bit.”