Worth the replay?

1. #1

   LightningatCanadiens

   NHL· ESPN2OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   46/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 61 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 46

2. #2

   Golden KnightsatMammoth

   NHL· ESPNOne-sided

   D

   11/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late2/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11

3. #3

   SabresatBruins

   NHL· ESPNOne-sided

   D

   9/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9

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.