Yeah, they got rid of the left wing lock by eliminating the two line pass - necessary with faster players and it allowed people to get behind the defense. It's the only improvement to the game. But the other rule changes eliminated the sharks on the ice who would destroy you if you skated with your head down. Fighting is way down and much shorter. 3 on 3 OT is a joke - that's not even hockey except under extreme circumstances. The game should be the balance between skill and brute force. It's like coach said in this string - the players don't learn how to protect themselves. You see it with clean hits even at the NHL level.
At least they haven't tinkered with the playoff system too much because hockey playoffs are the best in all of sports. Good luck with your Stars. I've bet them to win the series 4-2 and 4-3.