Worth the replay?

1. #1

   SabresatMaple Leafs

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   76/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.76 (pre-game Watchability 52) = 76

2. #2

   KrakenatLightning

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 81 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 39) = 56

3. #3

   IslandersatSenators

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   55/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.74 (pre-game Watchability 49) = 55

4. #4

   SharksatPredators

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   54/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.67 (pre-game Watchability 33) = 54

5. #5

   CanucksatPanthers

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   45/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.52 (pre-game Watchability 4) = 45

6. #6

   JetsatBlackhawks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C

   43/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 77 × pre-game weight 0.56 (pre-game Watchability 12) = 43

7. #7

   FlyersatRed Wings

   NHL· Disney+/ESPN+/HuluDown to the wire

   D

   34/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late11/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 60 × pre-game weight 0.56 (pre-game Watchability 12) = 34

8. #8

   MammothatOilers

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   30/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.91 (pre-game Watchability 82) = 30

9. #9

   BluesatWild

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   18/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 26 × pre-game weight 0.69 (pre-game Watchability 38) = 18

10. #10

    RangersatDevils

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    7/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings8/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.87 (pre-game Watchability 75) = 7

11. #11

    FlamesatGolden Knights

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings5/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.52 (pre-game Watchability 4) = 3

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.