Worth the replay?

1. #1

   BlackhawksatHurricanes

   NHL· ESPN+/HuluOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   71/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 95 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71

2. #2

   Red WingsatWild

   NHL· ESPNOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   70/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

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

3. #3

   SenatorsatPredators

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

4. #4

   PanthersatJets

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   55/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 73 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55

5. #5

   SabresatCanadiens

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   33/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

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

6. #6

   StarsatBlue Jackets

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   19/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings0/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19

7. #7

   Golden KnightsatBruins

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   18/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension10/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

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

8. #8

   PenguinsatOilers

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   12/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12

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.