How the Stanley Cup Final stirred 'The Office' fandom

The 2019 Stanley Cup Final provided fans with incredible storylines off the ice.

The St. Louis Blues had Gloria, the song that became the soundtrack to a Cinderalla story of a last-place team that became champions in a few short months. The Blues also introduced the world to Laila, the 11-year-old super fan who reminded us what sport is really about: perseverance and triumph. Her story mirrored the Blues’, and on Wednesday night she hoisted the Cup alongside a bunch of grown men who were inspired by her fortitude.

The Bruins provided, well, a less heartwarming storyline with the opportunity to win yet another major championship in one calendar year. The city of Boston and surrounding New England area cleaned house, winning both MLB and NFL titles since October, leaving a drought of exactly 129 days.

What both teams shared, however, was the ability to reinvigorate fans of The Office, and the love of pranks and camaraderie that echoed through nine seasons of the TV show. Fans were starving for new content ever since the final episode aired in 2013, and the Stanley Cup Final was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

It started with an innocent realization from a Twitter user that the beloved screen couple of Jim and Pam would be supporting two different teams in the Stanley Cup Final.

Both Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski chimed in on their Twitter accounts, and set the stage for a rivalry as intense as Threat Level Midnight.

Fischer was born in Indiana, but was raised in St. Louis where she attended elementary school, high school, and college. Krasinski was born and raised in Boston, and stayed close to his New England roots all the way through college. Basically, the rivalry is inked in their DNA. No one is quite sure who their TV children Cece and Phillip would be cheering for today, but we can imagine a divided household.

Throughout the first four games of the Final, Jim and Pam attended home games in their cities, making spirited appearances the jumbotron, but kept things quiet between their rivalry.

It was after the Blues took a 3-2 series lead in Game 5, that Jenna took the first shot at John on Twitter. For Office fans, this tweet was more than just a sports chirp, but a slight at their romance on the show.

Stanley Hudson was a name of their coworker on the show, adding to the drama of the tweet. Well played Pam.

John fired back, declaring war with a series prediction.

Fischer explained to NHL on NBC during the Game 6 panel that Jim and Pam’s rivalry began while filming The Office during the 2013 World Series between the Cardinals and Red Sox.

Things didn’t go too well for St. Louis or Pam that time around, meaning this series was her shot at redemption.

Once the Bruins tied the series forcing a Game 7 on home ice, Jim’s response was that he’d just have to invite someone else to the finale. There he proceeds to pull off the ultimate prank, better than when he put Dwight's stapler in Jell-O, or sold him “magic beans”.

Before Game 7, an unsuspecting character chimed into the Jim vs. Pam debate: their boss himself Micheal Scott. Steve Carell posted a photo with no caption, but clearly taking the side of Jim, not Pam.

Pam was having none of it. Clearly their heartwarming moments during the series at Pam’s art show, or the airport before Micheal leaves for Colorado, are forgotten now.

Bringing Micheal to the game would have been a savage move, but Jim did even worse.

He posted this pregame video, which looks innocent and almost genuine at first... until his guest comes into frame. Jim brought Roy, Pam’s ex-fiancé to Game 7.

That one hurts like Meredith’s broken hip when Michael ran her over in Season 4. Or when Michael cooked his foot on a George Foreman grill in Season 2. It just burns.

Pam claps back with the ultimate comeback, an ode to Roy and Pam’s first date on TV when he left her at a minor-league hockey game. It’s so good and witty, she deserves a Dundie. To add to the love triangle, Pam and Roy’s rocky onscreen romance fell apart when Jim confessed his love for Pam and kissed her at the end of Season 2, and ends up proposing in Season 5.

All is fair in love, hockey, and The Office.

In the end, it’s Fischer who gets the last laugh as her Blues were victorious in Game 7. She posted one last victory video, putting the icing on the cake for what was a fun rivalry throughout Stanley Cup Final. No wonder she failed art school...

Hopefully Jim doesn’t take it too hard... that’s what she said.

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