The Detroit Red Wings' 10-1 loss at Montreal Saturday might have been their worst performance in more than two decades.

It was the most goals they have allowed since a 10-3 defeat against St. Louis on March 30, 2011.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it were an isolated occurrence during an otherwise decent stretch of games. But this embarrassing effort came just two days after what coach Jeff Blashill described as "stupid hockey" in a 6-3 loss to the Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena.

A disturbing pattern continues. The Red Wings are winless in seven games (0-4-3), outscored 36-14. One-third of the way into the season Blashill already has called out his team after at least four games.

This slide raises questions about Blashill's job security and whether players have stopped responding to his message.

General manager Ken Holland declined comment Sunday about Blashill's status.

Don't expect a coaching change before Tuesday, when the Red Wings begin a five-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets. But if the Red Wings get blown out again, and with three days off before their next game, Saturday vs. the Blues, it might be time for a change behind the bench.

After finishing 16 points out of the final playoff spot last season, Holland opted to bring back Blashill and keep the team essentially intact rather than go into a multi-year rebuild. They were counting on better seasons from several players - including Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Justin Abdelkader and Danny DeKeyser. They needed excellent goaltending. They were hoping some schematic adjustments would yield better results. Their goal was the return to the playoffs in their first season at LCA.

Instead, with basically the same roster, they're getting the same results. At 10-12-5, they're four points behind their pace after 27 games last season (13-11-3).

One week ago, the Red Wings were in third place in the weak Atlantic Division, good enough for the final playoff spot. Now they're in fifth, four points behind the Canadiens and three behind the Boston Bruins. And they're sinking fast.

Holland confirmed he has had trade talks but said the solution, for the most part, must come from within the room.

"Seven straight losses, I get it, but it's really been the last five periods we haven't competed," Holland said. "Prior to that we dug in, we battled hard.

"Earlier in the year when we lost (six) in a row, that same team dug in and went 6-2-2.

"The answer for the most part has to be in the locker room. My responsibility is also to be in touch with the other managers in the league to see what's out there. That's been going on."

It is always easier to replace the coach than players. That's especially true with this team. They have a lot of players with hefty contracts who have underachieved the past couple of seasons, some with no-trade clauses, who would be difficult to move without retaining salary or taking a bad contract in return.

Their tradable commodities are talented young forwards Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou and their first-round pick. But it makes no sense for a team that has no realistic chance of competing for the Stanley Cup to sacrifice part of its future.

That is why it will be difficult to make a trade of any substance.

Their only realistic course of action is to do nothing and hope that the team starts playing better, like it has shown at times this season. Or make a coaching change.

Holland's future with the organization is in question, too. This is the first time he has gone into the final year of a contract without an extension. Holland said before the season that he hadn't had any contract talks with the organization. He has since declined comment. Ownership, under Chris Ilitch, apparently is taking a wait-and-see approach.

The Red Wings are 4-5-4 in their new home. That's one of their biggest problems. If they fail to capitalize on this stretch, their playoff hopes essentially will be dashed before Christmas.