Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PenguinsatSenators

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

2. #2

   KrakenatLightning

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

3. #3

   DucksatFlames

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   68/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

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

4. #4

   OilersatGolden Knights

   NHL· ESPNOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   62/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62

5. #5

   SharksatBlues

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   54/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54

6. #6

   WildatPanthers

   NHL· ESPNDown to the wire

   C+

   52/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52

7. #7

   DevilsatPredators

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire

   C+

   47/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late9/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 63 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47

8. #8

   CapitalsatMammoth

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   40/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late3/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 53 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 40

9. #9

   AvalancheatJets

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension17/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

10. #10

    Blue JacketsatCanadiens

    NHL· ESPN+

    D

    24/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension20/30

    Swings4/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late4/15

    Back-and-forth3/10

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

11. #11

    StarsatIslanders

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    13/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension10/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback1/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

12. #12

    BlackhawksatFlyers

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    6/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings8/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6

13. #13

    KingsatCanucks

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    6/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6

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.