The wait would not be easy; Guy Carbonneau had only missed the playoffs one season out of his 17 in the NHL, and never a playoff game with his team playing. Watching from the couch at home, he nearly went crazy. "It’s like I’m trying to coach the team and get them to do the things I want them to do, but they can’t hear me…I’ve called four guys a day at the hotel and told them what I saw in Game 3 and what I thought they could have done. It’s kind of like being a coach, but not really."

But the Stars successfully—although not easily—dispatched the Oilers in four and got a 2-0 lead going against the Blues. It was during this period that the recovering Carbonneau lost his father. The funeral was held back home in Sept-Îles and the family mourned their loss. Guy longed to get back on the ice as soon as possible, both to help his team and to ease his own grief, but his return was postponed to give body and soul a little longer to heal.

Meanwhile, the Stars suffered two heart-breaking losses in overtime to even the series. The team missed Carbo. Said Brett Hull, "He’s a leader, he’s composure on the ice, he instills work ethic in other people. He’s the heart and soul of this team…just his presence."

Quite a challenge for a man coping with both grief and injury, but Guy responded, "I want that pressure, I want to be the heart and soul of this team. That’s what keeps me going over the years."

Carbonneau returned to the ice in Game 5. Everyone wondered how he would fare after his long and tragic layoff. He struggled at first, looking for focus, and uncharacteristically lost 10 of his first 11 faceoffs. But by the third period it was all coming back. When St. Louis went on a power play with 4:09 remaining, Carbo won the faceoff…shortly after, when the Blues went on the attack, Guy blocked a shot from the point by Al MacInnis, a feat attempted by only the brave. The Stars won 3-1. Two nights later Dallas wrapped up the series with an overtime victory of their own.

Carbo was back, and the Stars were going to need him in the Conference Finals…their next foe was the league’s second best team, the streaking Colorado Avalanche. But at long last, Guy’s bad luck was about to change…and just at a time when things would look their darkest.

"Carbo goes on in dad's memory" by Dave Caldwell for The Dallas Morning News
"Carbonneau triumphantly returns" by Gerry Fraley for The Dallas Morning News
Guy's Journal #2: "Death of father inspires his return to playoff run" for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram