Worth the replay?

1. #1

   IslandersatSharks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C+

   48/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth7/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 83 × pre-game weight 0.58 (pre-game Watchability 16) = 48

2. #2

   RangersatOilers

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   22/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings7/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.88 (pre-game Watchability 76) = 22

3. #3

   FlyersatCanucks

   NHL· ESPN+One-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension17/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.52 (pre-game Watchability 3) = 13

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.