A puck off the stick of Wisconsin Badgers forward Casey O'Brien (26) goes off the post and behind Minnesota Gophers goaltender Hannah Clark (56) for a goal during the second period in a game Saturday, February 8, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. / Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Gophers men’s hockey team endured a 2-3-1 slump in conference play to start January that included a six-goal drubbing at Michigan State, the thoughts of Minnesota winning its seventh Big Ten regular-season title seemed remote.