Worth the replay?

1. #1

   DucksatKings

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

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

2. #2

   LightningatBlues

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

3. #3

   PredatorsatAvalanche

   NHL· ESPN+

   C+

   53/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension27/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late9/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 53

4. #4

   SharksatRed Wings

   NHL· NHL Net

   D

   34/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 45 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 34

5. #5

   PanthersatHurricanes

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   10/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   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.