Worth the replay?

1. #1

   IslandersatMaple Leafs

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   15/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension15/30

   Swings5/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15

2. #2

   PenguinsatFlyers

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   10/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

3. #3

   KingsatAvalanche

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   10/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings7/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 13 × 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.