Worth the replay?

1. #1

   JetsatCanadiens

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   66/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66

2. #2

   SabresatFlyers

   NHL· TNT/HBO MaxOne-sided

   D

   16/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 21 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16

3. #3

   StarsatDevils

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   7/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 10 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

4. #4

   MammothatDucks

   NHL· TNT/HBO Max/truTVOne-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

5. #5

   CapitalsatSharks

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   6/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6

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.