Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PanthersatBlackhawks

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire

   C

   42/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late14/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.64 (pre-game Watchability 29) = 42

2. #2

   IslandersatStars

   NHL· ESPN+Back and forth

   D

   24/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 28 × pre-game weight 0.88 (pre-game Watchability 76) = 24

3. #3

   AvalancheatPredators

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   14/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50) = 14

4. #4

   CanadiensatJets

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   14/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension13/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.73 (pre-game Watchability 45) = 14

5. #5

   WildatCanucks

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   4/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.62 (pre-game Watchability 25) = 4

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.