Sharks find a formula for success. It mostly involves heroics from their goaltender

SAN JOSE – So much went wrong for the San Jose Sharks over the first three-plus weeks of the regular season that perhaps it was about time that they caught a lucky bounce.

Nikita Okhotiuk’s shot from just inside the blue line toward the net went off the skate of Fabian Zetterlund and right to Tomas Hertl, who was in the perfect spot — right in front of the Edmonton Oilers net – to tap the puck past Stuart Skinner for his second goal of the season.

Hertl’s second-period goal stood up as the winner as Mackenzie Blackwood made 39 saves in another stellar performance to lead the Sharks to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in a game between the NHL’s bottom two teams.

Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored with 2:26 left in regulation time. But the Sharks killed a late penalty to Mikael Granlund to secure their second straight win.

Zetterlund scored the Sharks’ first goal, as he was left alone right in front of the Oilers net and buried a nifty pass from Hertl at the 18:35 mark of the first period. The goal was Zetterlund’s team-leading fourth of the season, as he’s already two-thirds of the way to his total of six from last season.

Filip Zadina scored an insurance goal 1:53 into third period. Sharks center Ryan Carpenter won a puck battle near the Sharks’ blue line and got it up to Nico Sturm, who crossed the Oilers blue line before he passed it over to Zadina for a one-timer that beat Skinner.

The Sharks (2-10-1) and Oilers (2-9-1) both have five points at the bottom of the Pacific Division, with Edmonton ahead on points percentage because it has played one fewer game.

That was enough offense for Blackwood, who had 23 saves through the first two periods to help the Sharks earn back-to-back victories since March 30 and April 1 of last season.

San Jose began this season with a 0-10-1 record before Blackwood made 38 saves on Tuesday to lead the Sharks to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Sharks now begin a two-game road trip, as they travel to play the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Blackwood made 14 saves in the first period, including two on the penalty kill as Okhotiuk and Sturm were called for slashing and boarding, respectively.