Sports in brief: Kuchar wins Turning Stone in playoff

Golf: It had been so long since Matt Kuchar had won on the PGA Tour that a huge case of nerves was a given, especially when faced with a sudden-death playoff.

“I had a hard time falling asleep (Sunday night). My mind was racing,” Kuchar said Monday after defeating Vaughn Taylor on the sixth extra hole of the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y. “I was extremely nervous. It’s a feeling that you don’t feel very often. It’s exciting to feel it. It really makes you feel alive.”

Kuchar rolled in an 18-inch putt for par for the victory, just his second on tour and first in seven years.

Kuchar improved to 2-0 in playoffs, and the top prize of $1.08 million boosted his earnings for the year past $2.3 million to 25th on the money list. His best previous finish in a tournament this year was a fifth-place tie at the Memorial in June.

Defensemen lift Rangers over Devils

NHL: Rookie defensemen Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy both scored, and the New York Rangers broke out of early power-play woes in a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.

Del Zotto and Ales Kotalik scored power-play goals in the first period, and Gilroy tallied at even strength in the second for New York, which erased two one-goal deficits.

Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves for the Rangers.

•Blue Jackets top Canucks: Kristian Huselius, Rostislav Klesla and Nikita Filatov scored over a 3:44 span early in the second period to chase star Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo and lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-3 win over the Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Antoine Vermette and Fedor Tyutin also scored, Rick Nash had three assists, and Steve Mason made 40 saves as Columbus opened the season with consecutive wins for the first time in franchise history.

•Modano out but travels: Dallas Stars center Mike Modano has soreness and bruising in his ribs, but an MRI showed no structural damage.

Modano traveled with the team for a three-game road trip, though he considers himself “doubtful” for tonight’s game at Edmonton. The Stars next play at Calgary on Friday night.

Seahawks expect Hasselbeck back

Football: The Seattle Seahawks expect Matt Hasselbeck to return to practice this week, with the hope their quarterback will play on Sunday against Jacksonville.

Coach Jim Mora said he expects his three-time Pro Bowl passer to test his broken rib when his 1-3 team returns to practice Wednesday.

•McNabb to start: Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb returned to practice and is expected to start Sunday when the Eagles play host to Tampa Bay.

McNabb has been out since breaking a rib in the season opener. He missed two games before the Eagles had their bye this past weekend.

Running back Brian Westbrook, who missed a game with a knee injury, practiced.

•Cable case forwarded to D.A.: The Napa, Calif., police have finished their investigation into allegations that Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable assaulted one of his assistants and forwarded the case to county prosecutors.

Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein said in a recorded message left on his media line that his office is reviewing the report.

•Retirement suggested for Bowden: The chairman of the Florida State trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season.

Jim Smith said the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn’t working.

“We’ve got too many bosses out there,” Smith said.

Miserable Mets make coaching changes

Baseball: New York Mets’ chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon made some coaching changes.

First base coach Luis Alicea was fired and third base coach Razor Shines will have a different role next season. Bench coach Sandy Alomar also lost his job, but will be offered another position in the organization, while son Sandy Alomar Jr. likely is headed for a promotion after serving as catching instructor this year.

•Glaus makes roster: Troy Glaus will be on the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster for their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite missing most of the season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

•Hoffman, Brewers agree to deal: All-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract to return to the Milwaukee Brewers next season.

•HOF calls for Kouzmanoff glove: A day after Kevin Kouzmanoff set a single-season record for N.L. third basemen with a .990 fielding percentage, the Hall of Fame asked if he’d donate a glove that he used at some point during the season.

•Judge rejects book blocking bid: A New York judge has rejected a bid by a cryonics foundation to block the release of a book that alleges Hall of Famer Ted Williams’ severed head was mistreated at its Arizona facility.

State Supreme Court Judge James Yates issued an order saying that Larry Johnson can discuss and promote his book, the New York Daily News reported. Johnson is the author of “Frozen” and a former executive at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.

Johnson claims a technician took baseball-like swings at Williams’ frozen head with a monkey wrench. “Frozen” is scheduled to be released today.