Worth the replay?

1. #1

   FlyersatOilers

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   B

   58/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 75 × pre-game weight 0.77 (pre-game Watchability 53) = 58

2. #2

   PenguinsatSharks

   NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire

   C

   43/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.55 (pre-game Watchability 11) = 43

3. #3

   PredatorsatDucks

   NHL· ESPN+

   C

   40/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late6/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 49 × pre-game weight 0.80 (pre-game Watchability 60) = 40

4. #4

   LightningatSabres

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   16/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.91 (pre-game Watchability 82) = 16

5. #5

   RangersatFlames

   NHL· ESPN+

   D

   15/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late1/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.57 (pre-game Watchability 14) = 15

6. #6

   MammothatGolden Knights

   NHL· TNT/truTVOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings7/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.93 (pre-game Watchability 85) = 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.