from Brian Pinelli of the New York Times,

As Jagr and the Bruins played the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night, fans gathered at a small 24-hour pub adjacent to the Pilsensky beer garden in Andel, a commercial neighborhood in the Fifth District, just outside of the historic city center.

Jagr is not the only reason fans here are paying extra attention. Seven Czech or Slovak players are involved in the finals: Jagr, David Krejci and the captain Zdeno Chara for Boston, and Michael Frolik, Michal Rozsival, Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus for Chicago. That has increased interest among fans in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which were united as Czechoslovakia until 1993.

“Everyone here is looking to see how Jagr and the other Czech guys are playing,” said Marko Aleksic, 27, watching the game in the neighborhood bar. “When you have so many players from your country playing, you are more interested in the finals.”

“I can say that 95 percent of Czech people are supporting Boston to win a Stanley Cup,” Aleksic added, perhaps unscientifically.

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