So much for Semyon Varlamov erasing his road struggles this season, as he and the Colorado Avalanche were hammered by the Edmonton Oilers in a 8-2 romp. Leading the way for the offensive explosion was Taylor Hall, who collected a "hat trick" and an assist. With 24 points in 23 games, there isn't much stopping the young phenom from being a top-five fantasy forward, other than his perpetual injury issues. If he can stay healthy, all the key Oiler forwards and defenseman Justin Schultz will improve their scoring production by a wide margin over the second half of the '13-14 season. These boys could be deadly come January. "Skinned" Alive: Speaking of needing to stay healthy, Carolina's Jeff Skinner also recorded a "hat trick" in the Cane's 5-2 road defeat of Nashville. With 17 points in 18 games, he is taking advantage of more top-line ice-time and is equaling his level of play during his Calder Trophy winning season. If this youngster can keep out of the infirmiery, he should easily post a career-high in points, but that is no guarantee. The absence of Alex Semin has propeled Skinner back into the the position of Carolina's second best scoring forward, which is certainly giving his fantasy value a huge boost. Start him with extreme confidence. MORE TO COME LATER...