SAN JOSE — Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner is preaching patience when it comes to his team’s sputtering start to the NHL season.

“Patience is exactly what is needed,” he said in an exchange of emails. “It is far too early to throw in the towel.”

Plattner has stated his intent to stay out of the public spotlight since taking over the reins of Sharks Sports & Entertainment in January 2013.

But he responded to a question asking his thoughts on the team’s 11-10-4 start after last spring’s playoff collapse and the fact that five games at the SAP Center this season have fallen several hundred seats short of capacity after a 205-game sellout streak.

“After 10 years on the sunny side, we now have to fight to reach the top eight in our conference,” wrote Plattner, 70. “Our fans will be with us as long as the team gives its all.”

The comments were Plattner’s first since May 14, when he expressed his disappointment in San Jose’s historic playoff elimination by the Los Angeles Kings. In that statement, the German-born co-founder of business software giant SAP also voiced confidence in the ability of general manager Doug Wilson and his staff to “build a team we can all be proud of.”

Wilson reports directly to Plattner in the organization’s streamlined chain of command.

Plattner’s call for patience comes as speculation had been increasing that coach Todd McLellan’s job was on the line if the team did not turn things around soon.

The Sharks will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month when they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers in the fifth game of a six-game homestand Tuesday night. San Jose played well for the majority of Saturday’s 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks — establishing a forecheck, mostly avoiding penalties and getting a big lift from special teams. The Sharks said they’ll need to do many of those same things, while eliminating mistakes that almost cost them a win Saturday, to earn consecutive victories for the first time since Oct. 26 and 28 against Anaheim and Colorado. “We’re going to have to carry that through,” said Sharks forward Tommy Wingels, who had a career-best four-point night against Anaheim. “There haven’t been too many moments of our games so far this season where we can be happy and say, ‘Let’s build on this.’ We haven’t given ourselves that opportunity.” The Sharks hope Saturday’s win provides the same spark their previous victory over the Ducks did in October, when San Jose collected five of six possible points in the next three games. Since that stretch, the Sharks are 4-6-2 and have fallen into fifth place in the division.

Tyler Kennedy said his lower body injury resulted from a blocked shot in the second period of Wednesday’s game against Calgary. Kennedy was credited with one block against the Flames, as he got in front of a wrist shot by defenseman Raphael Diaz. Kennedy practiced Monday and is eligible to come off injured reserve for Thursday’s game against Boston. Nevertheless, it’s been a frustrating season for Kennedy, who missed the first month with an upper body injury and has three points in 11 games. “Things are getting better,” Kennedy said. “I’m finally finding my game, skating well, finishing my checks, shooting pucks, creating chances.”