I think part of the problem is that it's difficult for an entire team to maintain the same intensity throughout the course of a season. I'm sure it drives Gopher fans nuts, but with such a big lead in the WCHA, it's probably difficult to motivate the players to perform at the top of their game every night. In contrast, UND is in the position of having to treat every game as a playoff game.
Last season, it looked as if Wisconsin was going to run away with the the league title. They hit a bit of a slump, but recovered nicely and played their best hockey when they had to. The Gophers and this season are a long way from being done.