WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin did not take long to move one goal away from tying and two from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.

Ovechkin beat Spencer Knight 3:52 into the Washington Capitals game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. He took a pass from Dylan Strome behind the net and banked the puck off the far post and Knight’s back and in.

After a few seconds, Ovechkin’s personal goal song, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner,” started blaring from arena speakers as mascot Slapshot flipped the counter in one corner from 892 to 893. Fans chanted “Ovi! Ovi!” before and after play resumed.

Ovechkin moved closer to making hockey history with Gretzky in attendance for the first time during the chase.

“I’m so proud of the fact that I’m here tonight,” Gretzky said at first intermission. “The commissioner I talked to the other day, and Alex said don’t come here until I get to two. I thought yesterday, ‘Gosh, we better get on the plane and get up there because he might get three tonight.’ When he scored four minutes in I thought, ‘Oh my God, we might be able to leave after the first period.'”

Scoring in a fourth consecutive game, Ovechkin reached 40 goals for a 14th time in 20 seasons, which is the most in league history. It’s the second 40-goal season ever by a player age 39 or older, joining Gordie Howe (44 in 1968-69 at age 40).

It also was Ovechkin’s 242nd career first-period goal, breaking a tie with Gretzky for the most in league history.

“It’s so hard,” said Gretzky, who had 12 40-goal seasons. “I don’t care what era you play in: ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, it’s hard to score goals.”

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have six games left in the regular season with a visit Sunday to the New York Islanders next.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.