Worth the replay?

1. #1

   SenatorsatJets

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   70/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70

2. #2

   KingsatStars

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   35/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late3/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

3. #3

   DucksatRangers

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   33/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 44 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 33

4. #4

   PredatorsatBlues

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

5. #5

   PanthersatLightning

   NHL· NHL NetOne-sided

   D

   8/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

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.