Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Trail BlazersatLakers

   NBA· Peacock/NBCDown to the wire

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late14/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 83 × pre-game weight 0.87 (pre-game Watchability 75) = 73

2. #2

   NetsatCeltics

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.56 (pre-game Watchability 11) = 56

3. #3

   IslandersatPredators

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   55/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 81 × pre-game weight 0.68 (pre-game Watchability 37) = 55

4. #4

   CanucksatDucks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   C+

   51/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.51 (pre-game Watchability 2) = 51

5. #5

   Blue JacketsatFlyers

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   45/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 79 × pre-game weight 0.57 (pre-game Watchability 15) = 45

6. #6

   PistonsatKnicks

   NBA· NBC

   D

   32/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.99 (pre-game Watchability 99) = 32

7. #7

   SenatorsatGolden Knights

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   31/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.88 (pre-game Watchability 76) = 31

8. #8

   BruinsatHurricanes

   NHL· ESPN

   D

   28/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension17/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late3/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 30 × pre-game weight 0.96 (pre-game Watchability 92) = 28

9. #9

   DelawareatWestern KY

   CFB· CBSSN

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 38 × pre-game weight 0.67 (pre-game Watchability 34) = 25

10. #10

    KingsatBlackhawks

    NHL· ESPN+

    D

    24/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension20/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback5/20

    Decided late4/15

    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.59 (pre-game Watchability 18) = 24

11. #11

    SabresatSharks

    NHL· ESPN

    D

    20/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension18/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late1/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.74 (pre-game Watchability 48) = 20

12. #12

    WildatMammoth

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    14/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension5/30

    Swings9/25

    Comeback1/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.96 (pre-game Watchability 92) = 14

13. #13

    DevilsatStars

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension1/30

    Swings9/25

    Comeback1/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.93 (pre-game Watchability 86) = 10

14. #14

    CanadiensatBlues

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    9/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension5/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.77 (pre-game Watchability 54) = 9

15. #15

    PanthersatJets

    NHL· ESPN+One-sided

    D

    7/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension1/30

    Swings8/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.74 (pre-game Watchability 49) = 7

16. #16

    Sam HoustonatMissouri St

    CFB· ESPN2One-sided

    D

    4/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension2/30

    Swings6/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.55 (pre-game Watchability 10) = 4

17. #17

    KingsatSpurs

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings0/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.54 (pre-game Watchability 7) = 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.