Worth the replay?

1. #1

   SenatorsatSabres

   NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire

   B

   57/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.82 (pre-game Watchability 65) = 57

2. #2

   FlamesatKraken

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C

   39/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.52 (pre-game Watchability 5) = 39

3. #3

   BlackhawksatPanthers

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 21 × pre-game weight 0.60 (pre-game Watchability 19) = 13

4. #4

   SharksatKings

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-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 0.63 (pre-game Watchability 26) = 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.