Worth the replay?

1. #1

   DucksatPenguins

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

2. #2

   Golden KnightsatIslanders

   NHL· TNT/HBO MaxOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 99 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

3. #3

   AvalancheatPredators

   NHL· TNT/HBO Max/truTVOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73

4. #4

   SabresatOilers

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

5. #5

   DevilsatSenators

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth

   C+

   53/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late6/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 70 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 53

6. #6

   BruinsatBlues

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   44/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 58 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 44

7. #7

   Blue JacketsatHurricanes

   NHL· ESPN+/Hulu

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

8. #8

   StarsatJets

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   24/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late1/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24

9. #9

   SharksatFlyers

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   16/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16

10. #10

    LightningatCanadiens

    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.