Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PredatorsatMaple Leafs

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 96 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

2. #2

   WildatSabres

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

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

3. #3

   PanthersatKings

   NHL· ESPNDown to the wire

   C

   41/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 55 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 41

4. #4

   HurricanesatCanadiens

   NHL· ESPN+Back and forth

   C

   40/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late3/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

5. #5

   BluesatBlackhawks

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   40/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension22/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late6/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

6. #6

   MammothatDevils

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   37/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

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

7. #7

   IslandersatRangers

   NHL· ESPN

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29

8. #8

   SenatorsatRed Wings

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   28/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 37 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 28

9. #9

   Golden KnightsatKraken

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   5/100
   ▸ 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) = 5

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.