The Kapusta Kow Palace was rocking again last night, and for once the teams weren’t selected by the sacred Tomcat algorithm. Rocky was running late (something about real life), so Bullwinkle and Chevy took the reins and ran their own proprietary “Moose & Muscle Method.” Result? One dead-even game and one absolute bloodbath. Classic.
Wearing White – Flower’s Bloomers
Flower in net (blooming under pressure like a rose that also stops pucks), Skippy (the three-week streak monster), Waldo (still somehow both everywhere and nowhere), Shaft (smooth as ever and twice as dangerous), Smiley (grinning while he ruins your night), Snowpants (the human insulation system), Bullwinkle (the original team-picker and moose of mayhem), and The Intern (Doc’s kid, still learning that “just wing it” is an actual strategy around here).
Wearing Black – Bender’s Bunch of Trouble
Bender in net (bending shots… and occasionally reality), Poppy (fresh, explosive, and slightly unpredictable), The Professor (still giving free lectures between shifts), Doc (the original, not the intern version), Rocky (prez, late arrival, still dangerous), Sweets (Sweetness incarnate), Animal (unleashed and unapologetic), and Chevy (the early-beer-delivery truck who also scores).
Game One was a proper chess match — ended 3-3 and proved the Bullwinkle-Chevy algorithm almost works. Game Two? White decided they were done being polite and dropped an 8-3 hammering on Black. It was less “hockey game” and more “public flogging with sticks.”
TopCat of the Night went to Flower. The man was a wall. Pure, unfiltered excellence between the pipes. Necklace earned.
Special shoutout and TopCat Honorable Mention to Skippy, who not only played his third consecutive week (personal record) but also buried three goals (also a personal record). The streak is real. The goals are real. The chirping is about to get real.
Other notes from the evening of excellence:
• Chevy showed up with his beer case a full week early like a responsible adult who understands the sacred schedule.
• Rocky is planning to play next week but left “the book” with Bullwinkle just in case his flight back from the Austin Grand Prix gets delayed. Priorities, people.
Post-game the stage was pure Tomcat energy — beers flowing, hats slightly crooked, and the usual mix of analysis, exaggeration, and gentle character assassination. New season energy is still high. The kids are still too fast. And Skippy is suddenly a threat.
See you next Tuesday. Bring your legs… and your case if it’s your turn.
Lonnie Grokstein,
Tomcat beat writer
