Worth the replay?

Saturday, November 1's games ranked by how good they turned out to be: late drama, comebacks, lead swaps and overtime. No scores, no winners, so you can decide what to watch without spoilers.

Best games of the season →

#1
SenatorsatCanadiens
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
73/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73
#2
CapitalsatSabres
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#3
AvalancheatSharks
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B
62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
#4
StarsatPanthers
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B
60/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60
#5
BlackhawksatOilers
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B
57/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings16/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 76 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 57
#6
RangersatKraken
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B
55/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings14/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55
#7
BluesatBlue Jackets
NHL· ESPN+
D
33/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings10/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 44 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 33
#8
FlamesatPredators
NHL· ESPN+
D
21/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension19/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 28 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 21
#9
CanucksatWild
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
17/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings15/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17
#10
Maple LeafsatFlyers
NHL· NHL NetOne-sided
D
16/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings11/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 21 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16
#11
HurricanesatBruins
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
13/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension9/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13
#12
PenguinsatJets
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
10/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10
#13
DevilsatKings
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
10/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.