The Leafs bombarded the league office with complaints and made a point of abusing referees on the ice regularly during the Shanahan era. while there is unquestionably bias against them, it is at least in part their own doing.
During the Dubas era, the team were boy scouts with the refs and league offices. It wasn't until Dubas realized that playing like boyscouts didn't win in the playoffs - that he started getting angry and animated in the manager's box.
The Leafs are held up as an example for the rest of the league to avoid the appearance of a pro-Leafs bias with fans and media. Which is of course a bias itself.
So Leafs player suspensions are never considered too lenient, and infractions against the Leafs will never appear to favour the Leafs.
One of my Oakland team centers used to bay like a mad hound at the refs, at opponents, at teammates, absolutely howled in the sin bin.... Dude was unreal and, fortunately, a really good center.
Kulak is good I think. But Girard is the type the leafs should have taken a flyer on. He may suck but he does exactly what they severely lack. These guys don't cost much, I'm not sure why they have been so against d under 6'0.