docs: update README with hype scoring and game importance details

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -1,19 +1,38 @@
 # NHL Scoreboard Web App
 
-This web application displays live NHL game scores, team statistics, and game states in real-time. It retrieves data from the NHL API and presents it in a user-friendly interface.
+A web application that displays live NHL game scores, team statistics, and game states in real-time. Retrieves data from the NHL API and surfaces the most interesting games first using a hype scoring algorithm.
 
 ## Features
 
-- Displays live NHL game scores.
+- Live NHL game scores, shots on goal, and game state
-- Sorts games based on priority to highlight the most exciting matchups.
+- Power play indicators with live countdown clock
-- Responsive design for desktop and mobile devices.
+- Smooth period and intermission countdown clocks
+- **Hype Meter** — ranks games by how exciting they are right now, factoring in:
+  - Period, time remaining, and score differential
+  - Late-game urgency and comeback bonuses
+  - Power play situations
+  - **Game importance** — boosts standings-relevant matchups late in the season, with extra weight for division and conference rivals fighting for playoff spots
+
+## Hype Scoring
+
+Games are sorted by a priority score combining in-game excitement and contextual importance:
+
+| Factor | Description |
+|---|---|
+| Period & time | Later period and deeper into it = higher base score |
+| Score differential | Close games rank higher; blowouts are penalized |
+| Late urgency | Bonus for ties and 1-goal games in the final 12 minutes |
+| Comeback | One-time spike when the trailing team scores to pull within 2 |
+| Power play | Bonus for an active man advantage, scaling with game situation |
+| Game importance | Season-progress × playoff-bubble proximity × rivalry multiplier (max +150 pts) |
+
+Game importance ramps up sharply after ~game 55 of 82, peaks for teams fighting for the last wildcard spot, and applies a 1.4× bonus for division games and 1.2× for conference games.
 
 ## Technologies Used
 
-- **Python**: Backend scripting language.
+- **Python / Flask** — backend and API polling
-- **Flask**: Web framework for Python.
+- **SQLite** — standings cache (refreshed every 10 minutes)
-- **HTML/CSS**: Frontend markup and styling.
+- **HTML / CSS / JavaScript** — frontend with auto-refresh every 10 seconds
-- **JavaScript**: Client-side scripting for auto-refresh functionality.
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -35,19 +54,12 @@ This web application displays live NHL game scores, team statistics, and game st
     python run.py
     ```
 
-4. Open your web browser and navigate to `http://localhost:2897` to view the scoreboard.
+4. Open `http://localhost:2897` in your browser.
-
-## Usage
-
-- The scoreboard will display live NHL game scores, team statistics, and game states.
-- Games are sorted based on priority to highlight the most exciting matchups.
-- The page updates automatically every 10 seconds to show the latest data.
-- Responsive design ensures a seamless experience on desktop and mobile devices.
 
 ## Credits
 
-Special thanks to the NHL for providing the data through their API.
+Data provided by the NHL via their public API.
 
 ## License
 
-This project is licensed under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
+[MIT License](LICENSE)