Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Commandersat49ers

   NFL· ESPN/ABC

   D

   34/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 55 × pre-game weight 0.61 (pre-game Watchability 22) = 34

2. #2

   SharksatMaple Leafs

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   32/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late1/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.79 (pre-game Watchability 59) = 32

3. #3

   AvalancheatFlyers

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension17/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.70 (pre-game Watchability 41) = 25

4. #4

   PenguinsatMammoth

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   24/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension13/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.68 (pre-game Watchability 37) = 24

5. #5

   DucksatRangers

   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 0.73 (pre-game Watchability 46) = 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.