\u201cThat was special,\u201d said Lemaire, who considers the run among his top feats because of the team\u2019s expectations \u2014 or lack thereof. The Wild were in the playoffs for the first time after finishing last in the division their previous two seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think everyone, the fans, everyone involved in hockey would have said that, hey, these guys are going to go to the final conference,\u201d Lemaire said. \u201cI don\u2019t think so. But we started to play, just trying to do our job. Everyone believed we do our job, we never know. That\u2019s what I tried to tell the guys all the time.\u201d <\/p>\n
As much as Lemaire shaped the Wild\u2019s competitiveness, earning 293 victories<\/a> before he stepped down in 2009, it\u2019s the fun that comes to mind first when he reflects on those eight seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to win every game, but we knew we couldn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cWe won\u2019t. But it was a process, and I think we did good. We had guys that were committed, guys that were involved and wanted to do well.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the Wild went on to get swept by Anaheim<\/a> in 2003, that\u2019s the closest they\u2019ve been to capturing a Stanley Cup.<\/p>\n