Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PanthersatIslanders

   NHL· ESPNDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   68/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

2. #2

   FlamesatDucks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   61/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 81 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61

3. #3

   JetsatSharks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56

4. #4

   BluesatWild

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire

   C+

   53/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late11/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

5. #5

   BlackhawksatMammoth

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   17/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17

6. #6

   Golden KnightsatPenguins

   NHL· TNT/HBO MaxOne-sided

   D

   10/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   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.