Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PredatorsatKings

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 75 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56

2. #2

   LightningatSabres

   NHL· NHL Net

   C

   37/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 49 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 37

3. #3

   BlackhawksatSharks

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   27/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27

4. #4

   KrakenatJets

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   17/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

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.