Sidney Crosby is still showing the effects of the shot he took to the face in Dallas on Saturday.
The left side of Crosby's face is still a little swollen -- although not as bad as it was in Dallas -- and he has a mark on his left cheek from the shot.
Crosby was asked on Tuesday if the shot caught him in the helmet at all, or if it hit him dead on in the flesh.
"It felt pretty flesh," Crosby laughed. "It might have, I don't know. I didn't feel it hit my helmet, it would have been nice."
During Tuesday's optional morning skate before the Penguins' 7:08 game against the Flyers at PPG Paints Arena, Crosby participated while wearing a clear full shield to protect his face.
Crosby hasn't decided if he'll wear the shield for the game.
"We'll see," Crosby said after the skate. "That's why I was out there trying it. ... We'll see if I end up using it, I don't love it."
This isn't the first time Crosby has worn the full shield. He wore one in May 2013 when he made his return after more than a month away from the game after he suffered a broken jaw from a Brooks Orpik shot.
"It's hard to see a lot," he said of the experience. "You look down, and that kind of thing. Just trying to see how you can protect it without really taking away from things too, just trying to find a way there."
Crosby said he feels good otherwise, and hasn't had any trouble with eating or anything as a result of the puck he took to the face.
Regardless whether or not Crosby ends up wearing the shield, he said he'll be in the lineup tonight against the Flyers.
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• It was a highly optional skate. Brian Dumoulin briefly skated without pads. Crosby was joined by Evgeni Malkin (who was wearing a regular practice jersey), Sam Lafferty, Chad Ruhwedel, and Juuso Riikola, as well as both goaltenders.
• Dumoulin and Alex Galchenyuk are game-time decisions for tonight. Malkin is shooting for a Saturday return, the earliest possible return date due to LTIR rules.
• The lines and pairings used in Monday's practice were:
Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Dominik Simon
Alex Galchenyuk – Nick Bjugstad – Patric Hornqvist
Dominik Kahun – Jared McCann – Bryan Rust
Zach Aston-Reese – Teddy Blueger – Brandon Tanev
Adam Johnson – Joseph Blandisi – Sam Lafferty
Brian Dumoulin – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – Justin Schultz
Jack Johnson – John Marino
Juuso Riikola – Chad Ruhwedel
• Matt Murray will start in net.
