Worth the replay?

1. #1

   KingsatAvalanche

   NHL· ESPNOvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

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

2. #2

   CanadiensatLightning

   NHL· ESPN2OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

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

3. #3

   MammothatGolden Knights

   NHL· ESPN2Down to the wire

   C+

   53/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late9/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

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

4. #4

   BruinsatSabres

   NHL· ESPNOne-sided

   D

   12/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension2/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 16 × 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.