Worth the replay?

1. #1

   IslandersatGolden Knights

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 96 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

2. #2

   KingsatMaple Leafs

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   71/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71

3. #3

   BruinsatSenators

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire

   C+

   49/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late9/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49

4. #4

   JetsatKraken

   NHL· ESPN+Back and forth

   C+

   47/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 63 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47

5. #5

   SabresatAvalanche

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   35/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 47 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 35

6. #6

   OilersatBlue Jackets

   NHL· ESPN+/Hulu

   D

   32/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 43 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32

7. #7

   SharksatFlames

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

8. #8

   DucksatRed Wings

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   20/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20

9. #9

   CapitalsatPanthers

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   18/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18

10. #10

    StarsatCanadiens

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    7/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings9/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

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.